In a landmark move to strengthen child protection laws, the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill prescribing life imprisonment without option of fine for anyone found guilty of sexually defiling a minor.
The legislation, sponsored by Senator Adams Oshiomhole and supported by Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, seeks to amend the nation’s Criminal and Penal Codes in response to the alarming rise in child abuse cases reported across the country each year.
The bill, which now awaits concurrence by the House of Representatives and subsequent presidential assent, aims to close legal loopholes that have allowed offenders to receive lighter sentences or fines in the past.
While the move has been widely praised by child rights advocates and civil society groups, experts warn that implementation could face hurdles, citing weak enforcement mechanisms, cultural disparities in child marriage laws, and the need for improved judicial and law enforcement training.
If signed into law, the measure would mark one of Nigeria’s toughest legal steps yet in the fight against sexual violence and exploitation of minors.