The acting governor of Kaduna state, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, has clarified that the law to castrate rapists was enacted to serve both as a deterrent from committing the crime and to punish offenders.
Addressing a town hall meeting organised by the Hausa Service of Voice of America (VOA) on Thursday in Kaduna, Dr Hadiza said Kaduna state government has introduced Sex Offenders Register to name and shame offenders.
Blueprint recalls that Governor Nasir el-Rufai signed into law the Kaduna State Penal Code (Amendment) Law 2020, which prescribed surgical castration and removal of fallopian tubes for male and female rapists of minors under 14 years, on September 11, 2020.
The acting governor said the government has added three more sexual assault referral centres, adding that there are now four of such centres in Kaduna state located at Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun Wada Kaduna; Gwamna Awan Hospital at Nasarawa, Kaduna; Hajiya Gambo Sawaba Memorial Hospital, Zaria and Sir Patrick Yakowa Hospital, Kafanchan.
Dr Balarabe further said the government has also established a Transit Centre for victims of Gender-Based Violence at Barnawa for counselling and Psycho-social support.
She urged parents to take adequate care of their children, emphasising that they will account for how they looked after them in the hereafter.
Kaduna state Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, said the state executive committee has set up a task force headed by Secretary to the State Government, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, to tackle rape cases.
She added that the Human Capital Development Policy Council which the acting governor chairs weekly, is also tackling the issue, adding that the Commissioners of Health, Education and herself are on that committee.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr Shehu Usman Makarfi, said the government has separated Qur’anic education from street begging in Kaduna state.
According to him, “Tsangaya schools will be modernised and Islamic and western education will be taught in those schools. Children will attend Islamic schools from their parents’ homes.
“All Islamic schools will be registered and the government will determine whether or not the teachers have the requisite knowledge to even teach in those schools.”
Responding on the delay in prosecuting rape cases, Solicitor General of Kaduna state, Barrister Chris Umar, said there were inadequate High Courts and few judges to try offenders. He revealed that the entire southern Kaduna has just one High Court, while the Northern Senatorial zone has two, adding that Governor el-Rufai has been advocating for the establishment of more courts.
According to Umar, before the coming of this government, rape victims had to travel to Zaria to get justice, but now the Ministry of Justice has opened a Saminaka Division. He further said that the Ministry of Justice had just 60 prosecutors when the present administration came to office but right now, there are 110 lawyers that handle cases for the government.
Managing Editor of the Hausa Service of VOA, Madam Grace Alheri Audu, hailed Kaduna state government for enacting laws against rape and instituting measures to curb Almajirci.
She said the aim of the town hall meeting is to exchange ideas between the government and the people on the way forward.
