Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Imaan Suleiman has called for capital punishment against anyone engaged in violence against women and girls in Nigeria.
In her speech marking the 2024 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence on Monday in Lafia, Nasarawa State, the minister said harsher penalties would serve as a deterrent to such heinous crimes.
She 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 said the state government has zero tolerance for any form of gender-based violence.
The governor supported the proposal for a death sentence on the perpetrators of rape and defilement to serve as a deterrent to others conceiving any plans to engage in the devilish and barbaric act.
According to him, the state had a law in place that prohibited GBV of any kind and spelt out appropriate sanctions for perpetrators.
He, therefore, promised to continue to support women and other vulnerable groups, especially victims of GBV, to make their lives worthwhile.
On 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.
