The Nigerian Senate has proposed an amendment to the country’s sexual offence laws, suggesting an increase in the penalty for defiling a minor from a five-year jail term to life imprisonment.

The legislation, after being approved by the House of Representatives, was forwarded to the Senate for its concurrence. In a detailed clause-by-clause review during Wednesday’s plenary session, Senators unanimously supported the provision to impose life imprisonment without the possibility of a fine on individuals convicted of defiling minors.

The proposal is included in the “Criminal Code Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025,” which seeks to revise current legal provisions related to sexual offences to reflect contemporary standards. The bill intends to modify sentencing guidelines for crimes such as child defilement and rape.

This development indicates Nigeria’s broader efforts to address sexual violence by enacting stricter laws and providing increased protection for victims of all genders and ages.

The House called defilement a severe violation of human dignity, noting that it can cause lasting physical and psychological harm to victims. They argued that Nigeria’s existing five-year sentence for child defilement is inadequate and fails to serve as a deterrent.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, underscored the severity of the crime, insisting that child defilement should carry a severe penalty under the law.

“Defilement is even more serious than rape. It is a very serious issue and should carry more punishment,” he said, as senators voted overwhelmingly in favour of the life imprisonment clause.

Senate President Akpabio further warned that the new law sends a strong message to would-be offenders.

“Any defilement of a minor in Nigeria henceforth, the punishment is life imprisonment. Let everyone be aware,” he declared.

Beyond child defilement, the Senate also approved stiffer penalties for rape and sexual assault, increasing the punishment from a five-year sentence to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment.

The decision follows growing public concern about the rising number of sexual violence cases across the country and the frequent under-prosecution of offenders.

Former Kebbi State Governor, Senator Adamu Aliero, had earlier proposed life imprisonment for rape as well. Still, the Senate ultimately resolved to retain a minimum sentence of 10 years to allow judicial discretion in sentencing.

The revised Clause 2(1) now reads:

“Any person who detains a man or boy, a girl or a woman against his or her will in any premises to have unlawful carnal knowledge of him or her; in a brothel or any place, commits a felony and attracts a minimum jail term of 10 years, on conviction.”

In a significant correction to address gender bias in the original draft, lawmakers proposed making the law gender-neutral.

The earlier version appeared to suggest that only women could be victims of rape. However, former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, challenged that assumption, emphasising the need for inclusivity.

“The rapist could be a male raping a male, a male raping a female, a female raping a female or a female raping a male,” Oshiomhole stated.

Following his intervention, the Senate amended the clause to explicitly recognise that both males and females — including boys and men can be victims of sexual violence.

However, once the bill is harmonised with the version passed by the House of Representatives, it will be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

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