Aare Afe Babalola, respected legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, has sought an amendment to laws relating to rape to prescribe outright castration of offenders.
Babalola, observed that the present stipulation of imprisonment for culprits was not severe enough, also called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on rape matters.
In a statement by the Head, Corporate Affairs of the institution, Tunde Olofintila, Babalola said, “The prevalence of rape cases is not only alarming but worrisome. It is worrisome in the sense that it is inconceivable that a male could forcibly rape someone and goes further to kill her.
Babalola said, “Castrating perpetrators of rape cannot be said to be too much bearing in mind the physical, psychological and emotional pains they inflict on their victims and families.”
“Society would recover from the scourge of rape through constant vigilance, observance of the religious tenet of being our brothers’ (and sisters’) keepers, provision of employment and avoidance of hard drug as well as a timely end of the ravaging COVID-19.”
Babalola, who recalled the cases of Vera Omozuwa, a student of the University of Benin; and Barakat Bello, a student of the Institute of Agriculture, Research and Training, Ibadan, who were raped and murdered, said, “the society cannot afford to fold its arms and watch the alarming and worrisome situation to continue unchecked”.
