What Nigerians think of castration of rapists Ibrahim Akindele, Sales Representative, Lagos Executive Director, Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women, Kaduna

38, Blogger, Ibadan

The castration of rapists is not the best. What if a woman rapes a man? The government should look for another punishment for them. A rapist today may change to become a good person tomorrow. So, to me, it would be reasonable to find another punishment for them. The government may review the existing punishment for them. For instance, if their jail term was 25 years before, the government may increase it to 50 years.

The Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai recently signed into law, the amended Penal Code Law 2020 that provides stiffer penalties for rape of a child including death, surgical castration for male convicts, and bilateral salpingectomy for female rapists. Some Nigerians expressed their views on this legislation. Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos), Jeremiah Oke (Ibadan), Romoke W. Ahmad (Minna), Maryam Ahmadu-Suka

(Kaduna), Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt), Tony Adibe (Enugu) & Olatunji Omirin, Maiduguri

Ezeh Patrick, 25,

Castration is not the way to go for rapists. Our mind controls our actions. So, I think therapy whilst facing jail term for offenders (especially first-time offenders) would be important to help educate and curb rape. We are all humans so we should be open to correction before punishment.

Rebecca Sako,

Isupport the law to the extent that it serves as a deterrent and we will see a reduction in the spate of rape in the state. For such laws to be taken, the government will have to ensure that due process is followed, meaning, the suspect will be allowed to appeal the judgment of the various courts from the lowest to the highest. On the other hand, even God forgives people, so if the person is repentant and remorseful, he deserves a second chance. Unfortunately, the law does not give the judge the leeway to make that call and that is where the issue is. I am actually for and against the law; I am for if it will serve as a deterrent and then I am against it if there is an opportunity for reform.