Minna – The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Niger chapter, on Tuesday in Minna advocated death penalty for rapists.
The Chairperson, Mrs Fatima Takuma, made the suggestion at a public hearing on a bill for a law to penalise Kidnappers and cattle rustlers.
“We want the government to extend the same level of seriousness it has attached to kidnapping and castle rustling to the issue of rape.
“Some of these kidnap victims are females who get raped while in captivity, and this is equally a serious issue.
“So we are advocating for death penalty for rapists the same way death penalty was proposed for persons convicted of kidnapping and cattle rustling,” she said.
In his remarks, Speaker of the Niger House of Assembly, Ahmed Marafa, said the menace of kidnapping and cattle rustling was taking a toll on the state, hence the need for a law to curb it.
Marafa said the two crimes had been on the increase in the state largely due to lack of any provisions in the Penal Code to deal with them. (NAN)
