By Abasi Ita
The Nigerian Senate has approved life imprisonment for anyone convicted of sexually defiling a minor, regardless of gender.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Adamu Aliero during Tuesday’s plenary, urging the National Assembly to impose the maximum penalty for such offences.
“I want to propose that the punishment for defilement of minors is life imprisonment,” Aliero said while presenting the motion.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio supported the motion, stressing that the new measure applies equally to both men and women found guilty of the crime. “It does not matter whether it is a man or a woman. If anyone lures or defiles a minor, the punishment should be life imprisonment,” he stated.
Akpabio described child defilement as a grave offence that undermines morality and humanity, warning that the Senate would no longer tolerate leniency in such cases.
Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan (Ogun West) seconded the motion, expressing full support for the proposal.
The motion was adopted after an earlier amendment moved by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, which recommended a 20-year jail term, was rejected as too mild.
Oshiomhole had argued that defilement differs from rape and warranted separate consideration, but lawmakers insisted that life imprisonment was a more appropriate deterrent.
The resolution marks a significant step by the National Assembly toward strengthening legal protection for minors and addressing the rising cases of sexual violence against children across the country.