On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the Senate passed revisions to the Criminal Code Act that require life imprisonment for anyone guilty of defiling a minor and eliminate the option of fines. The modification was accepted as part of the Criminal Code (Modification) Bill, 2025 (HB. 151), a concurrent bill passed by the House of Representatives.
Senators have also voted to reinforce the nation’s child protection laws by increasing penalties for sexual offenses involving minors.
Key provisions of the amended bill include:
Life imprisonment without the option of a fine for anyone convicted of defiling a minor, regardless of gender.
A minimum 10-year prison term for rape, with the definition expanded to cover both male and female offenders.
Elimination of the statute of limitation for defilement cases (Sections 218 and 221), allowing such offenses to be prosecuted no matter how long ago they occurred.
Removal of gender bias in the definition of rape (Section 357), ensuring equal accountability for all offenders.
The bill has been forwarded to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights for detailed consideration, with its report expected within two weeks.
House Bill 151 was among four bills presented for concurrence on Tuesday by Senate Leader Sen. Michael Bamidele Opeyemi (Ekiti Central). The others are the Federal Road Safety Corps Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (HB. 1401), the Dieticians Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (HB. 1114), and the Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery, Oke-Igbo, Ondo State (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (HB. 744).
