The Jigawa State government has enacted a law that prescribes death sentence for whoever rapes a child below the age of 10.
The state Attorney General, Musa Adamu, disclosed this on Wednesday in a press briefing held at Dutse, Jigawa capital.
“The government has also signed the child protection law which prescribed the death penalty for anyone that raped a child below the age of 10,” Mr Musa said.
Mr Adamu further explained that “Earlier this year the Jigawa state Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has signed the Violence Against Prohibition Bill which prescribed the death penalty for rapists but with the option of life imprisonment.”
Listing the number of number of cases the ministry has handled so far, Mr Adamu said “The ministry has prosecuted and defended a total number of 25 appeals before Court of Appeal, Kano Division, and has also completed the prosecution of 83 criminal trials before eight High Courts at Birnin Kudu, Dutse, Gumel Hadejia, Kazaure and Ringim.”
“34 convictions and Forty-Nine 49 defendants were discharged and acquitted,” he added.
Amnesty International lamented the spate of rape in Nigeria and failure of undermentioned to tackle the menace.
“11,200 rape cases reported last year, including children raped to death,” Amnesty International reported in November.
