Rapists: Women Group Advocates Speedy Passage Of Death Penalty, Writes National Assembly

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

The Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Development Network (WEPDN) has appealed to lawmakers at the National Assembly to move speedily and ensure that motion for death sentence is passed into law.

The women pressure group emphasised that this is a very important matter of utmost urgency, as lives of daughters, sons and indeed everybody are at risk, noting that it could be turn of anybody tomorrow.

This was contained in a letter written to the leadership of National Assembly in Nigeria on urgent need for the lawmakers to address the incessant rape and killing cases in the country.

The women body led by its Global Convener, Iyalode Alaba Lawson in the letter titled, ’Enough is Enough’ dated June 16th, 2020 was addressed to Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and a copy forwarded to former President, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo.

The letter accompanied with video clips of some rape cases, stated that it all started as a small pebble, but gradually becoming mountainous boulders seeking to crush the social and moral fabric of the country.

“We are referring to the alarming issue of rape and defilement that have ballooned into monstrous proportions. Hardly a second goes by, that a minor is not raped by and individual or gang raped by multiple members of a gang.

“Nobody is spared, the old the young, even babies, day old babies and to make matter worse, the victims lives are often terminated. Their lives are snuffed out after being desecrated and defiled by these nefarious elements.

“Astonishingly, the male gender is not left out of the whole mess. There is also an astronomical increase in the rate of underaged boys defiled both by men and women. These experiences traumatize the victims for the rest of their lives, even with proper counseling, if their lives are not terminated.

“This simply cannot stand. We cannot afford to allow this to continue in our society, thus, we solicit your help in mitigating this growing menace by asking for the maximum penalty of death for rapists.

“This, we believe will help in deterring would-be rapist. Rapists are like murderers because they take away the lives of their victims both literally and figuratively.

“We appealing to the lawmakers to move speedily to ensure that, the motion for death sentence is passed into law. This is very important matter of the utmost urgency, as lives of our daughters, sons and indeed everybody are at risk. It could be turn of anybody tomorrow,” The letter stated.

Meanwhile, other signatories in the letter included: Chief (Mrs) Anita Nana Okuribido; Mrs Affi Ibanga; Mrs Mimy Bawa-Allah; Mrs Regina Obasa; Barrister Joanne Miller-Egboh, and Ms Omotola Omole. Also were Mrs Norah Ajoke Hollins, Mrs Annah Akpan, Mrs Edith Lawal and Mrs Ifeyinwa Adesida.