President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, October 11, 2019 said that Nigeria needs to enact stricter laws in order to protect women and girls from abuse.
He said this in a series of tweets on his Twitter handle.
Buhari said that there was a need to have stricter laws especially in light of recent stories of sexual abuse coming out of institutions of higher learning.
The president tweeted, “Nigeria needs stricter laws to protect girls and women from abuse. I very much welcome the National Assembly’s proposed amendments to our laws, following the recent high-profile revelations of sexual abuse in our institutions of higher learning.”
He added that there was a need to do more to address issues of sexual abuse and sexual violence in schools, as well as other practices that violate the rights of women.
Buhari went on to call on law-enforcement agencies and school authorities to handle cases of sexual abuse and violence with the seriousness required.
“I urge our law enforcement agencies and school administrators to take up such cases with every seriousness and ensure that perpetrators face the consequences of their actions.
“The practice of shaming and silencing victims must also be discouraged by all,” Buhari concluded.
