NAN
A Bill for an Act to provide for registration and monitoring of persons convicted for sexual offenses against minors on Thursday, January 18, passed second reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill which was sponsored by Rep. Ochiglegor Idagbo (Cross River-PDP), passed first reading on Oct. 31, 2017.
Leading the debate on the bill, Idagbo said the bill seek to put in place mechanism to prevent recurrence of sexual abuse against minors in the country.
According to the lawmaker, victims of sexual abuse suffer untold depression and psychological trauma and “every serious country must take such cases seriously’’.
Idagbo said most victims do not report and “a lot more cannot explain the pains they suffer which often results in suicide’’.
The legislator said that an organised data will not only protect children but keep offenders away.
Also speaking, Rep. Joan Onyemaechi (Delta-PDP) said “when a child is abused, the effect goes beyond the crime as victims develop hatred for other persons’’.
However, Rep. Kingsly Chinda (Rivers-PDP) said there was a bill already on the floor of the green chambers which seeks proper documentation of all criminals in the country.
He recommended that both bills be harmonised at the relevant committee level to produce an encompassing law.
Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara forwarded the bill to the Committee on Human Rights and the of Justice for further legislative actions.