LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The governor of Nigeria’s Kaduna state has signed a law saying men convicted of rape will face surgical castration, and anyone raping a child under age 14 will face the death penalty.
Gov. Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai says the “drastic penalties are required to help further protect children from a serious crime.”
Reported cases of rape in Nigeria have risen dramatically during the months of coronavirus restrictions, and women’s groups have called for tougher measures, including the death penalty.
Kaduna’s new measures are the strictest in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.