Civil society Organizations in Bauchi State have commended the State House of Assembly for passing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill.
The VAPP bill was passed into law following the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Women Affairs at plenary on Tuesday in Bauchi.
Mr Wanzam Muhammad the chairman of the Committee during a presentation said that the report required urgent attention.
The bill houses punishment for rapists, pedophiles and persons “found to have engaged in female genital mutilation would be liable to N100,000 fine or two years imprisonment and any attempt to commit the offence should attract half of the punishment provided for the actual commission of the offence,” he said.
Mrs Comfort Attah, the Executive Director of Attah Sisters Helping Hands Foundation commended the assembly under the stewardship of Abubakar Y. Suleiman for accelerating the passage of the VAPP bill.
“I want to specially congrats the entire people of Bauchi, his Excellency the Executive Governor of Bauchi state, and particularly the Honourable Speaker Bauchi State house of assembly, and all the assembly members for this ground breaking history.
“The passage of the bill is a demonstration that the Assembly under the leadership of Abubakar Y. Suleiman is people’s responsive and result oriented”, she said.
“The VAPP bill is crucial especially during this period where rape has become pandemic in the state and Nigeria at large”, she added.
Also Speaking, Mary Ann Emanuel, the focal person of Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC expresses satisfaction over the passage of the bill, saying with the development, rape offenders will not go unpunished.
