Senate Passes Bill Prescribing Life Imprisonment For Kidnappers

The Senate on Tuesday passed the anti-kidnapping bill which prescribes life imprisonment as punishment for kidnappers.

The bill sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu contains amendments to the criminal code which is currently in operation in the southern part of Nigeria.

Titled “A bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code Act CAP. C.38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004,” it removes gender restrictions in the offence of rape on the grounds that both male and female can be raped.

It seeks to delete the statute of limitation on defilement and increase punishment for the offence of kidnapping

The bill eliminates 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.