THE Senate has passed a bill which prescribes life jail, as against the current 10 years maximum sentence, for kidnappers.
The bill contains amendments to the criminal code which is currently in operation in the southern part of Nigeria.
The upper chamber also deleted the statute of limitation on defilement as well removed gender restrictions on the offences of rape.
The resolutions of the Senate followed the third reading and passage of “A bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Code Act CAP. C.38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.”
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Oluremi Tinubu, is 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 eliminates 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 removes gender restrictions on the offence of rape by explaining that both male and female could be raped.