Barely three days after the House of Representatives rejected castration as a punishment for rape, particularly when a minor is involved, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Ramatu Aliyu at the weekend advocated that rapists should be castrated to serve as a deterrent to others.
The House while adopting motion of urgent public importance on: “The Need to Condemn the Rising Cases of Sexual Violence and Other Socal Vices Against
Women and Police Brutality” sponsored by Rotimi Agunsoye (APC, Lagos) rejected the amendment, calling for castration of rapists as the exact punishment for female offenders was difficult to prescribe.
But Aliyu called for a stiffer penalties for offenders, disclosing that FCT Administration was working closely with security agencies and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) to push for serious institutional framework that would ensure justice for victims of rape.
The Minister who made the call in Abuja shortly after the distribution of palliative items to the leadership of FCT National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) FCT Chapter and Nigeria Football Association of Coaches FCT Chapter, stressed that members of the community would be engaged in the battle against rape especially of minors.
She described rape of minors as heinous crime but maintained that death penalty was not the best of option for offenders, arguing that when a society chooses to kill such offenders, they die and not remembering the crime they have committed against humanity.
“We will involve every member of the community in this battle against rape. Just recently, we are in search of one offender, and definitely we will nip it in the bud. And in conjunction with all the security outfits, NAPTIP, in the Federal Capital Territory, we are in the watch, and for any offender that we get, we will take it to any length to ensure that he is not fit to live.
“We are also pushing for serious institutional framework that will ensure that justice is done. It is not enough to just jail such person, definitely punishment like castration will do. When we kill them, they die and not remembering anything, therefore they should be castrated and roam the streets and remain inactive”, Aliyu said.
While distributing the palliative items to the leadership of NCWS, NLC and Coaches for onward distribution to identified vulnerables among them, as part of measures to cushion the effect of the lockdown, the Minister appealed to them to ensure that the items get to the vulnerable.
“We have been going round and round in the distribution of palliative items in the Federal Capital Territory. But I know you must have wondering why we have not come to those who really laboured, those who really spare their time to ensure that we succeed.
“It is not because we did not appreciate your contributions, but because we have to take the battle to the poorest of the poor who domicile in the rural areas. We combed every part of the territory to ensure that the message of President Muhammad Buhari gets to them,” she stated.
