…Urges security agencies to enforce laws against forced
marriages
The Senate on Tuesday advocated stiffer punishment against
rapists to mitigate the increasing cases of rape against the girl
child in the country.
The upper chamber also called on the security agencies to
strictly enforce laws against child marriages to protect the girl
child.
These resolutions of the Senate followed a motion by Senator
Sandy Onuh on the recent death of two girls as a result of gender
and
sexual-based violence in Lagos and Edo states respectively.
Miss Uwa Omozuwa, a 100 level undergraduate of the University of
Benin was allegedly raped by 11 men in a Pentecostal church in
Benin City on the 27th of May, 2020.
Omozuwa later died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital
(UBTH) where she was taken for medical treatment.
In the same vein, a 16-year-old girl, Tina Ezekwe, was allegedly
killed in Lagos when she was hit by bullets fired by policemen.
Two police officers, Assistant Superintendent of Police
Theophilus Otobo and Inspector Oguntoba Olamigoke, have been
reportedly arrested for being allegedly responsible for the death
of Tina.
According to reports, the two policemen were trying to arrest a
bus driver for violating the nationwide curfew imposed by the
Federal Government to check the spread of coronavirus.
The death of both girls generated public outrage as Nigerians
demanded justice for their killings.
Senator Onuh in his lead debate, noted that most Nigerian girls
and children are today being confronted by one form of abuse or
another.
He expressed concern that if proactive measures are not taken to
curb “this dastardly act, the cases will rise even further” and it
will hinder the country’s growth.
Contributing, Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP – Ekiti) told his
colleagues that a similar incident is being investigated in her
state.
Olujimi said: “We have been speaking much and nothing much has
been done about it. We didn’t imagine we will go the way of India
where rape will become the rape of the people.
“If the security agents do not take it seriously, (we will face
a scourge). We are dealing with one in my state and it was
perpetrated by a man in office, by someone he took in as a help. He
raped and impregnated her.”
Senator Akon Eyakenyi (PDP – Akwa Ibom) said that in her state,
there is a case of a father who violated his daughter. She called
for urgent intervention to stop the trend.
The Senate in its resolutions upheld the recommendation
recommendation of the motion which condemned the killings of the
young girls and urged that the perpetuators be found and dealt
with.
It also urged the Federal Government to stage a campaign against
the increasing brutality and rape against the girl child.
They also called on State Houses of Assembly to amend their
criminal and penal codes by prescribing stiffer punishments for
rape and violence against the girl child.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan in his closing remarks said:
“We need to make the punishment stiffer for those who aspire to be
involved…to save the future of these girls and women and the future
of this nation.”
…Urges security agencies to enforce laws against forced
marriages
The Senate on Tuesday advocated stiffer punishment against
rapists to mitigate the increasing cases of rape against the girl
child in the country.
The upper chamber also called on the security agencies to
strictly enforce laws against child marriages to protect the girl
child.
These resolutions of the Senate followed a motion by Senator
Sandy Onuh on the recent death of two girls as a result of gender
and
sexual-based violence in Lagos and Edo states respectively.
Miss Uwa Omozuwa, a 100 level undergraduate of the University of
Benin was allegedly raped by 11 men in a Pentecostal church in
Benin City on the 27th of May, 2020.
Omozuwa later died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital
(UBTH) where she was taken for medical treatment.
In the same vein, a 16-year-old girl, Tina Ezekwe, was allegedly
killed in Lagos when she was hit by bullets fired by policemen.
Two police officers, Assistant Superintendent of Police
Theophilus Otobo and Inspector Oguntoba Olamigoke, have been
reportedly arrested for being allegedly responsible for the death
of Tina.
According to reports, the two policemen were trying to arrest a
bus driver for violating the nationwide curfew imposed by the
Federal Government to check the spread of coronavirus.
The death of both girls generated public outrage as Nigerians
demanded justice for their killings.
Senator Onuh in his lead debate, noted that most Nigerian girls
and children are today being confronted by one form of abuse or
another.
He expressed concern that if proactive measures are not taken to
curb “this dastardly act, the cases will rise even further” and it
will hinder the country’s growth.
Contributing, Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP – Ekiti) told his
colleagues that a similar incident is being investigated in her
state.
Olujimi said: “We have been speaking much and nothing much has
been done about it. We didn’t imagine we will go the way of India
where rape will become the rape of the people.
“If the security agents do not take it seriously, (we will face
a scourge). We are dealing with one in my state and it was
perpetrated by a man in office, by someone he took in as a help. He
raped and impregnated her.”
Senator Akon Eyakenyi (PDP – Akwa Ibom) said that in her state,
there is a case of a father who violated his daughter. She called
for urgent intervention to stop the trend.
The Senate in its resolutions upheld the recommendation
recommendation of the motion which condemned the killings of the
young girls and urged that the perpetuators be found and dealt
with.
It also urged the Federal Government to stage a campaign against
the increasing brutality and rape against the girl child.
They also called on State Houses of Assembly to amend their
criminal and penal codes by prescribing stiffer punishments for
rape and violence against the girl child.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan in his closing remarks said:
“We need to make the punishment stiffer for those who aspire to be
involved…to save the future of these girls and women and the future
of this nation.”