Nigeria's Kaduna State Enforces Super Powerful Law for Child Sexual Violence Death Penalty

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Nigeria's Kaduna state passed a law under which men convicted of rape will face surgical castration,and death penalty in case of child sex abuse where the victim is under the age of 14 years. Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai said that drastic penalties are essential to protect children from such heinous crimes while signing the law. This move came after Nigeria reported a dramatic rise in cases of rape amid the COVID-19 restrictions.

This new law signed by Governor Nasir Ahmad and passed by the state of Kaduna will be one of the strictest laws against rapists in Nigeria. Previously Nigeria's Kaduna state had a law under which rapists were sentenced to 21 years of imprisonment for the rape of an adult and life imprisonment in case of the rape of a child. But the new amendment to the law states that any person who rapes someone over the age of 14 years will face life imprisonment.

On the other hand, if a man is convicted of raping a child under the age of 14 years will have to face surgical castration and similarly, a female convicted of the same crime will also face an equivalent sentence. This move came soon after Women's bodies took a stand against rape and sought tougher action including the death penalty against the rapists in Nigeria following the spike in the rape cases during the months of covid-19 restrictions and lockdown.