In a bid to stop unceasing rape cases in the country, Niger State House of Assembly on Wednesday Feb 26, 2013 passed into law, a bill seeking the establishment of Sharia Penal Code for the State and set aside 21 years jail term for anyone convicted of rape.
Alhaji Isah Kawu, the Chairman, House Committee on Judicial Matters, moved the motion for the House to receive the report of his committee on the mentioned bill.
He said the bill was an improvement over the previous bill which set aside 14 years jail term with option of a fine, while the passed bill provided for 21 years jail term is without option of fine for a convict under Sharia Penal Code.
He said, “The passage of the bill would greatly stem the tide of rape cases in the state and serve as a lesson to perpetrators”.
The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Adamu Usman, in his ruling said the new Sharia Penal Code Law seeking to say that whoever was found to have raped a lady or a girl shall be liable for 21 years imprisonment.
Reacting to the bill, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Niger State threw its weight behind the Niger House of Assembly for passing into law a bill that set aside 21 year jail term for anybody convicted of rape.
The Chairperson of FIDA, Hajiya Fati Suleiman Takuma, commended the lawmakers.
“With this bill passed into law women are more enriched and better equipped in dealing with all forms oppression or violence against the less privileged and vulnerable in the society,” she said.