Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe has tasked community leaders in the state to be vigilant and report cases of rape in their domains to appropriate authorities.
The governor made the call in a statement by Mamman Mohammed, Director-General Press and Media Affairs to the Governor on Friday in Damaturu.
He said, “the government will apply the state laws on rape which stipulates life imprisonment for rape cases involving minors and where the victim is an adult, the perpetrators shall be jailed for a term of 25 years.”
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The governor charged the police and judiciary to conduct adequate investigations and expedite action on judicial process and procedures on rape cases.
“Government will not tolerate any abuse deliberately caused by reckless persons who have no self-control.
“The full wrath of the law will be applied on anyone who is proven to have committed rape in the state,” he warned.
NAN reports that in 2018, former Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam, signed into law; life imprisonment and 25 years jail term for rape of minors and adults respectively.
NAN reports that under the law, ”whoever commits rape, where the victim is a minor, shall be punished with imprisonment for life and where the victim is an adult, shall be jailed for a term of 25 years.
“Anyone who is ascertained to have carnal knowledge against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal is said to have committed an unnatural offence and shall be convicted with a prison term that may extend to 25 years or not below 14 years.
“The law stipulates that whoever takes, entices, confines any person by means of force, threat or deceives such person without his consent or lawful authority with intent to deprive him of his personal liberty will be construed to have committed a crime”.