The Senate has passed a bill which prescribes life jail for convicted kidnappers.
A 10-year-jail term was previously prescribed for convicted kidnappers.
The bill contains amendments to the criminal code which is currently in operation in the southern part of Nigeria and was sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu and titled, “A bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code Act CAP. C.38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.”
The bill deleted the statute of limitation on defilement, increase punishment for the offence of kidnapping, and remove gender restrictions in the offence of rape and other related matters.
The bill eliminated 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.
It also removed gender restrictions on the offence of rape by explaining that both male and female could be raped.
