Nigeria need tougher laws to curb high rate of sexual abuse – NPC Commissioner

Dr. Sam Ahaiwe, the Federal Commissioner representing Abia State at the National Population Commission, NPC, on Friday expressed worry over the increasing rate of sexual abuse in the country.

He further recommended a minimum penalty of 10 years jail term, without an option of fine for offenders.

At a ceremony in Umuahia to mark the 2013 World Population Day, on the theme, “Teenage Pregnancy”, Ahaiwe who read the speech of the NPC Chairman, Festus Odumegwu, said that the World Health Organisation, WHO, has statistically showed that teenage pregnancy has been on the rise in Nigeria and other African countries.

The Commissioner advocated a tougher punishment to serve as a deterrent to those who sexually assault others.

He protested the present punishment of two years jail term, saying it was not good enough and cannot teach offenders any lesson.

“We are doing very little one to address sexual abuse in Nigeria despite high rates of occurrence,” he said, adding that drastic measures must be taken to tackle the menace of sexual abuse in the country.

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