The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved stiffer penalties for rape and child defilement in the country.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, who disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the fourth virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, said the council’s decision to endorse stiffer penalties for sex offenders followed approval of a memo she presented during the meeting.
She noted with concern the outrage that had trailed cases of rape and gender-based violence during the lockdown induced by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Tallen said: “I’m sure you are aware that for the past few weeks, the country has witnessed a lot of outrage and outcry because of the pandemic within the pandemic that we are facing.
“I know before COVID-19, we have always had pandemic of rape cases and gender-based violence.
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“But with the lockdown due to COVID-19, women, and children are locked down with their abusers and the number has escalated three times. There is no state that is an exception.
“This has reached an embarrassing situation that a memo was presented in Council, calling for immediate intervention, legal and prompt dispensation of justice in the cases.
“Because, from the statistics we have and from the meetings I had with the 36 states commissioners for women affairs, we have hundreds of cases within our courts that have not been concluded.
“And out of one case that has been reported, be sure they are 10 others that have not been reported. As a result, we called for aggressive media campaigns and public enlightenment for people to rise up and pick out against the abuse of minors and rape cases.
“We also call on the judiciary for prompt dispensation of cases and the police to ensure rape cases are not treated with levity or wish away.
“These are issues that were presented before Council and I am happy to announce that we got the full support of Mr. President and all members of Council, that the government will take decisive actions at the highest level to protect women and children in this country.”
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