The Jigawa State Governor, Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar has signed the violence against persons prohibition law to eliminate and prohibit all forms of violence and ensure maximum protection for the citizens in the state.
The law provides effective remedies for victims, punishment for offenders, and other related matters.
The Governor, while signing the law commends the state House of Assembly Committee on Justice and judiciary, Attorney-General Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, the State Council of Ulama and all stakeholders for their commitments and collaboration towards ensuring the passage of the law.
The Governor added that the law was assented after due consultation with the religious and traditional rulers to ensure its conformity with the Islamic teachings and does not contradict the beautiful culture of the state.
He said the law will address the emerging crimes of gender-related violence.
The Attorney General Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu during a media chat said ‘the VAPP law will go along way in tackling sexual assault cases.
Part of the provisions of the law has addressed offense for rape which states that “anyone who is found guilty of committing rape offence shall be sentenced to death or life imprisonment, in the case where the victim is infected with HIV/AIDs, the suspect shall be sentenced to death, and the victim shall be Compensated with not less than five hundred thousand (#500, 00) for damages. He added that the perpetrator shall also be deduced to public shaming on all forms of communication channels to serve as a deterrent to others”.
The law has also criminalized “abandonment of (family) women, children, and other persons deliberately by parents which subject the family to hunger, ill-health and expose them to danger.
He enjoins the people of the state to be law-abiding, as VAPP law has proffer punishment to any action that will cause harm, fear, and loss to people of Jigawa state.
