By Mike Adeyemi
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kwara State branch has advocated that rapists should be castrated when found guilty.
It therefore urged the Federal Government to make into law castration and death sentence for perpetrators of rape especially against the female folks.
The Chairperson of Kwara FIDA, Barrister Iyabode Muhammed stated this on Friday during a seminar on ‘The Impact of Palliative Care and Support during the Lockdown’ sponsored by a Kwara based Non Governmental Organization, International Women Communication Centre (IWCC), held at NBA Hall, High Court, Ilorin.
According to her, “the high rate of violence against women in Nigeria is saddening and barbaric which demands urgent attention.
“Our position is that we are very sad and not happy about the situation on the incidence of rape in the country. We are calling on all stakeholders to join hands with FIDA so that the violence against women provision act that provides harsh punishment for the rapist is passed into law.
“We are prescribing both death sentence and castration for rapist because ordinarily we have a life sentence punishment, but now with death sentence and castration, the incidence will be reduced,” she said.
Muhammed added that it is of a matter of urgency for the Kwara State House of Assembly to ensure speedy passage of violence against women Act into law to effect its domestication.
“The Violent against women Act has been passed into law by the National Assembly since 2015. We are just asking for its domestication by the Kwara House of Assembly. We just want the law to be domesticated in Kwara. I learnt it has passed through the second reading, we are waiting for them to invite the stakeholders,” the FIDA chair noted.
Delivering lecture at the occasion, the former chairperson of FIDA in the state, Dr. Abiola Adimula stressed the adverse effect of palliative during a lockdown.
“Under international human rights law, Nigerian government has an obligation to protect people’s right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food and nutrition, the highest attainable standard of health, and right to security”, she said.
Adimula added, “In times of economic crisis, countries must demonstrate that they have made every effort to mobilise all available resources, including international assistance, and allocate them in the way that maximizes respect for human right, including by taking into account the precarious situation of disadvantaged and marginalized individuals or groups.’
Adimula however recommended that the government should ensure that the most vulnerable are targeted and not neglected by having a direct contact with them via solid data information.
“Discrimination should be avoided by all means and should not be encouraged. Government should clearly communicate its economic relief plans to the public and clarify eligibility, timeline and procedures so as to avoid corruption in the distribution process,” she stated.
In the same vein, the convener of the seminar who is also President of International Women Communication Center, Dr. Mrs. Nimota Goroso charged women Lawyers in Kwara State to rise up to the challenges of violence against women in the state.
“When will FIDA lead us to the Kwara State House of Assembly to demand for a speedy passage the Act that prohibits rape and other violence and vices against women in the state.
“I can mobilise a 1 million match to the Kwara House of Assembly all in the effort to get women right violation Act passed. We as women have the knowledge, the experience to get this done,” Goroso assured.
