Minister Canvasses Capital Punishment For Rapists

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman has called for stricter sanctions, including capital punishment against anyone engaged in violence against women and girls in Nigeria.

Hajiya Suleiman made the call in her speech marking the 2024 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence on Monday, in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

She said tougher penalties against rapists would serve as deterrent to perpetrators of such heinous crimes.

The minister noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has zero tolerance for any act aimed at dehumanising the female gender.

“This administration under President Bola Tinubu is committed to ensuring a safe society where women and girls can thrive and achieve their full potential,” Hajiya Suleiman said.

Also speaking at the occasion, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, assured that the state government has zero tolerance to any form of gender-based violence.

The governor also threw his weight behind the proposal for a death sentence on the perpetrators of rape and defilement to serve as a deterrent to others conceiving plans to engage in what he described as devilish and barbaric act.

According to Governor Sule, the state had a law in place that prohibits gender-based violence of any kind, adding that the legislation also spelt out appropriate sanctions for perpetrators.

He, therefore, promised to continue supporting women and other vulnerable groups, especially victims of GBV to make their lives worthwhile.

For her part, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in Nasarawa State, Hajiya Aishatu Rufa’i also called for more punitive measures against perpetrators of gender-based violence, even as she urged parents and guardians to ensure the protection of the rights of the girl child.