Senate Passes Bill Imposing Life Imprisonment for Child Defilement

The Nigerian Senate has approved a new law prescribing life imprisonment for anyone found guilty of defiling a minor, as part of efforts to strengthen protection for children and deter sexual offences nationwide.

The legislation, sponsored by Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), initially proposed a 20-year jail term for offenders. Oshiomhole argued that defilement is one of the most damaging crimes against humanity, stressing that minors cannot give valid consent.

“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,” he said.

However, during debate, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) pushed for a stiffer sanction, proposing life imprisonment without the option of a fine to serve as a stronger deterrent.

“The punishment for defilement of minors should be life imprisonment, regardless of the offender’s gender,” Aliero argued, a position that received overwhelming support from lawmakers.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, and the “ayes” carried the day. He declared that both men and women convicted of defiling minors would henceforth face life imprisonment.

“Henceforth, any man or woman guilty of defiling a minor shall be sentenced to life imprisonment,” Akpabio announced.

The Criminal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace previous lighter penalties under Nigeria’s criminal laws, now awaits concurrence by the House of Representatives and subsequent presidential assent.

The move follows growing public outrage over the rise in child rape and defilement cases across the country. In 2020, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) reported a sharp increase in such cases during the COVID-19 lockdown, many of which ended without conviction due to weak enforcement and legal loopholes.

If signed into law, the measure will represent one of Nigeria’s most stringent punishments yet for sexual crimes against minors a move lawmakers say is aimed at protecting vulnerable children and restoring public confidence in the justice system.