The Senate has urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the murder the Peoples Democratic Party women leader, Mrs Salome Abu, who was burnt alive in Kogi State last week.
This call was made by the Senate after a debate on a motion by Senator Betty Apiafi to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The red chamber condemned violence against female candidates in the elections in Kogi State.
The senators also observed a one minute silence in honour of the PDP women leader who was set on fire in her home.
The Senate urged state governments who had yet to domesticate the Child Rights Act (2003) and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP 2015) to do so for the socio-economic development of their states and the nation at large.
The parliament lamented that women around the world were being subjected to various forms of violence, rape, trafficking for sexual and domestic slavery with impunity.
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In her lead debate, Apiafi noted that the theme for this year’s celebration is “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.”
She said the theme was very apt as it concerns issues of rape which had assumed an alarming and unacceptable dimension in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday started the process of amending the Criminal Code Act, 2004, when it considered a bill to that effect.
The bill sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central) seeks the removal of gender restrictions on rape offences as well as a proposal of stiffer penalties for kidnapping.
Tinubu, in her lead debate on the bill, objected to the provision of Section 218 of the Criminal Code.
The section provides that “anyone who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 13 or attempts same is guilty of felony and liable to life imprisonment or 14 years imprisonment, respectively.”
According to Tinubu, prosecution of an offender under the section constitutes a limitation that should be extended as against the Act’s provision which allows for only two months after the offence is committed.
She said, “This is untenable in a country where investigations often take longer than two months.”
