Castration For Rapists, See Religious Leaders Pleading For Leniency

Castration for rapists is the topic. And you would have thought that religions leaders would be first to back the recently signed law by the Kaduna state government, approving castration as punishment for rapists.

Instead, many of them have taken time and the energy to plead for culprits while not undermining the huge problem it had become, a Vanguard interview has shown. .

For example, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), in Kaduna, Rev, John Joseph Hayab has said that castration as punishment for such crime might present humans as barbaric.

 According to Rev. Hayab,” the evil rapist are doing is inhuman and condemnable by all reasonable human beings.

“The punishment of castration may make us also present ourselves as barbaric. Nigeria and Kaduna state are part of a global family where a certain way of punishments are considered to be against human dignity, though the crime of rape is serious our approach to discipline and correction should be with good understanding.”

 “I wish our legislators will suggest such punishment for those who are stealing Nigeria’s commonwealth. I will therefore wish to appeal to KDSHA to think of a more appropriate punishment that meets international and human standard,” he said.

Similarly, Kaduna based Islamic scholar, Sheihk Haliru Maraya said the religion of Islam does not prescribe castration as punishment for rape.

They are therefor asking for a second look into the law, given what is considered its severity.

Note that earlier, the Kaduna State House of Assembly approved castration as punishment for anybody convicted for rape in the state. This House also okayed 21-year jail term and life imprisonment for rapists of adults and minors respectively.

This followed the amendment of the State Penal Code (No.5), law of 2017 which stipulated stiffer penalties for rapists in the state as part of the effort to protect women and children against any form of gender violence.

Musa Ahmed, spokesperson of the House, told journalists in Kaduna on Friday. that “with the new law, anyone convicted of rape will have his organ surgically removed so that even upon completion of his jail term, he will not be able to commit the crime again.”

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“In addition to the castration of the convicted rapist, the new law recommends 21 years imprisonment for the rape of an adult and life imprisonment for the rape of a minor,” he said.

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