News

Senate Approves Life Imprisonment For Child Defilement Convicts

Published

1 month ago

October 21, 2025

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday passed a bill prescribing life imprisonment for anyone — male or female — found guilty of sexually defiling minors in a move to stem the rising tide of child sexual abuse across the country.

The passage of the bill comes amid mounting national outrage over increasing cases of pedophilia and child molestation, which have left many victims physically and psychologically scarred.

Reports from rights groups and law enforcement agencies in recent years show that Nigeria has witnessed an alarming surge in cases involving children as young as five being sexually assaulted by adults, including family members, teachers, and clerics.

Presenting the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC–Edo North) stressed that the offence of defiling a minor should be treated differently from that of raping an adult.

“A minor is a child who cannot give consent and whose life can be permanently damaged by such an act. Those involved in defilement deserve severe punishment.

“I propose 20 years penalty for anyone found guilty. There are disturbing cases involving children as young as five or ten,” Oshiomhole said.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, also supported the motion, insisting that offenders should face punishment without the option of a fine.

Although Oshiomhole’s initial 20-year jail term proposal gained traction, it was later rejected after Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) argued that the punishment should be stiffer to serve as a deterrent.

“I want to propose that the punishment for defilement of minors should be life imprisonment, regardless of the offender’s gender,” Aliero said.

His position was immediately backed by Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West), who maintained that the gravity of the crime warranted the maximum penalty.

When Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, the “ayes” were overwhelmingly in the majority.

Akpabio declared, “I hereby move that henceforth any man or woman who is guilty of defiling a minor should be sentenced to life imprisonment.”

The bill’s passage is expected to serve as a deterrent amid growing public concern that many child rape cases go unpunished due to weak enforcement and social stigma.

Over the past decade, several high-profile cases of minors being raped — some by trusted relatives and religious figures — have drawn widespread condemnation and renewed calls for harsher penalties.

In 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons reported a spike in cases of child defilement, with many offenders walking free due to loopholes in existing laws.

If signed into law, the new legislation would replace earlier provisions under Nigeria’s Criminal Code and Penal Code, which prescribed lighter sentences for offenders.

News

Insecurity: Former NYSC Director Tasks Corps Members On Self, Environmental Consciousness

Published

1 hour ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

A retired Director, Information and Public Relations, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Directorate Headquarters, Eddy Megwa, has called on all corps members serving in the country to take their personal security seriously, always be self and environmental conscious.

The former Director made the call at the Bauchi NYSC permanent orientation camp, Wailo, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state on Monday.

He warned that the times were evil, therefore vigilance, self consciousness and consciousness of the environment were of paramount importance.

He also called on them to serve the nation with loyalty, commitment and zeal for patriotism, adding that no nation grew without the selfless service of the citizens and called on the corps members to rise up and make the desired change.

“I want to urge you all to deliberately work towards building a great nation of our collective dreams.

“This is because if we have a country that is working very well, the youths will not be desperate about relocating to other countries of the world for greener pastures,” he said.

Megwa further discouraged the youth from illegal migration, describing it as a suicide mission as many of such ‘desperate people’ ended up losing their lives in the Sahara desert in the most gruesome manner.

The former NYSC Spokesman encouraged the corps members to strive for excellence in all they do and achieve even what their forebears could not achieve.

“There are a whole lot of opportunities you have now and can leverage on which the older generation never had.”

He told his audience not to put their names and their families into disrepute by getting themselves involved in crimes and other unwholesome activities.

“The Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme of the NYSC is the panacea to graduate unemployment.

“I want to, therefore, advise you to take advantage of the programme by learning skills that will be useful to you in the future.”

Earlier, Mr Umoren Kufre, the state’s Coordinator of NYSC, appreciated the retired Director for the visit and words of motivation to both camp officials and corps members.

He described the former Director as a living legend that shaped the NYSC Public Relations Unit to what it is today and left his footprints boldly.

News

NiMet Predicts Three-day Sunshine, Cloudiness From Monday

Published

1 hour ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and haziness from Monday to Wednesday across the country.‎

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged sunny skies over the entire northern region throughout the forecast period on Monday.‎

It envisaged ‎sunny skies with patches of clouds over the entire central region.‎”For the southern region, ‎cloudy atmosphere with sunshine intervals is anticipated over the region with slim chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross River during the afternoon to evening hours,” it said‎According to NiMet, dust haze is anticipated over Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, and Yobe on Tuesday throughout the forecast period.‎It anticipated sunny skies with cloud patches over the entire central region.

“For ‎southern region, ‎cloudy skies are expected over the region with slim prospects of isolated thunderstorms over parts of ‎Cross River during morning hours.‎” Isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Delta, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River later in the day,” it said.‎

The agency predicted dust haze over the northern region throughout the forecast period on Wednesday.‎NiMet anticipated a sunny and hazy atmosphere over the entire central region.‎”For the southern region, cloudy atmosphere are over the region in the morning hours.‎

“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over parts of Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers ” it said.

NiMet urged the public to drive under the rain with caution and to take necessary precautions as ‎dust particles would be in suspension over the northern region.

NiMet advised people with asthmatic health conditions and other respiratory issues to be cautious of the present weather ‎conditions.

‎”Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.‎” Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet – visit our website – www.nimet.gov.ng.

News

MOWAA: Why I Will Not Appear Before Edo Assembly Panel — Obaseki

Published

2 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The immediate past governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has given reasons he would not appear before the Edo State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee set up to investigate funding and ownership of the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) and the Radisson Blu Hotel.

The Edo Assembly set up the panel following a request by Governor Monday Okpebholo that the Assembly should probe funding and ownership of the projects.

Amongst what the governor requested the Assembly to investigate is the state government’s N3.8bn investment in the MOWAA and N28bn in Radisson Hotel.

Former Governor Obaseki is scheduled to appear before the Committee on Thursday, December 4th, 2025.

The Committee, had in a letter signed by its Secretary, Bekisu Oshone Wilson, said attendance by Obaseki and others were required as part of the committee’s investigation.

Obaseki, who spoke through his media adviser, Crusoe Osagie, said it was offensive and laughable for the Assembly to invite him over a matter that was already in court.

He said the Edo Assembly should learn to know how the law works.

The former Edo Governor said he could not be subjected to answering separately on the same issue.

“It is subjudice for the former Governor to appear before the Edo Assembly in a matter already in court.

“Why subject him to another round of questioning on the same issues?”

Management of MOWAA had also refused to appear before the Edo Assembly Ad Hoc Committee.

Its Counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, said the Assembly could only make recommendations but that the Court would make the final decision on the issues.