The controversy surrounding the newly-passed Sexual Offences Bill
rages on,with Senator Anyanwu denying the claims of Professor
Soyinka,etc that the law punishes defilement of children aged 11 and
below only, thus making 11 the new Age of Consent in Nigeria and
allowing the likes of Senator Yerima to continuing marrying underaged
wives. Read Anyanwu's arguments below:
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Anyanwu explained further that clause 6 of the bill provides that; "A
person who commits an offence that causes penetration with a child is
guilty of an offence called defilement."
She also said provisions of the bill included that; "A person who
commits and offence of defilement with a child aged 11 years or less
upon conviction shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life."
"A person who commits an offence of defilement with a child between 12
and 15 years old shall upon conviction be sentence to imprisonment for
life."
"A person who commits an offence of defilement with a child between
age 16 and 18 years old shall upon conviction be sentenced to
imprisonment for life."
She explained that the succeeding provisions were deleted at the
committee level in the senate, because there is no disparity in the
punishment for the offence, irrespective of age difference.
Source:http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/falana-to-challenge-legality-of-sexual-offences-bill/212064/.
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Soyinka, Falana,etc are right. Anyanwu and her colleagues should
accept correction and amend the law. Why were the age groups separated
and valuable time and space wasted since the punishment is the same
for defiling girls aged 0-11, 12-15 and 16-18?She is only exonerating
herself of complicity in the deletion of the clauses punishing the
defilement of girls aged 11-18. If she is indeed innocent,let her
prevail on her guilty colleagues to amend the law.
