The Senate has passed a bill which prescribes life jail for kidnappers. Hitherto, the offence attracted only 10 years maximum sentence.
The new bill contains amendments to the criminal code currently in operation in the southern part of Nigeria.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, member representing Lagos Central senatorial district, had proposed and sponsored the legislation titled “A bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code Act CAP. C.38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.”
It sought to delete the statute of limitation on defilement, increase punishment for the offence of kidnapping, and remove gender restrictions in the offence of rape and other related matters.
The bill when finally accented to by the president, will eliminate the time frame for prosecuting defilement cases by increasing the period from two months to as many years as the victim decide to take up the manner.
Also, it will delete gender restrictions on the offence of rape by explaining that both male and female could be raped.