The Nigerian Senate has approved a life imprisonment sentence for anyone convicted of defiling a minor, marking a major shift from the current five-year jail term under the nation’s criminal code.
The decision followed the passage of the Criminal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at imposing tougher penalties for sexual offences and protecting vulnerable individuals.
Senators described child defilement as a “heinous act capable of destroying a child’s life forever” and unanimously agreed that punishment should reflect the gravity of the crime.
“The Senate has decided that any defilement of a minor in Nigeria henceforth attracts life imprisonment without an option of fine,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared after a voice vote.
The bill, earlier passed by the House of Representatives, also stiffens the penalty for rape. Under the new provision, anyone found guilty of forced sexual intercourse regardless of gender will face a minimum of ten years in prison.
Although former Kebbi governor Adamu Aliero pushed for life sentences for rape, the Senate agreed on a ten-year baseline, allowing judges to impose harsher terms in aggravated cases.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole successfully proposed that the law recognise male victims too. The revised clause now reads: “Any person who detains a man or boy, a girl or a woman against his or her will for unlawful carnal knowledge commits a felony and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to not less than ten years imprisonment.”
Debate intensified when lawmakers considered clauses on abortion. Some senators warned that vague definitions could criminalise doctors performing life-saving procedures. Senator Abdul Ningi urged the chamber to clearly distinguish between unlawful abortion and emergency medical intervention.
In response, Akpabio referred the clause to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters for further review within two weeks.
Once harmonised with the House’s version, the bill is expected to become one of Nigeria’s strongest legal frameworks against sexual violence and child abuse.
“Today, the Senate has drawn a moral line,” Akpabio said. “No more tolerance for predators. No more silence for victims.”
