House Of Representatives Passes Bill To Spare Pregnant Women From Death Penalty

The House of Representatives has passed for second reading, a bill seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to provide that pregnant women convicted for offences punishable by death should serve life imprisonment instead.

The bill, which was sponsored by Rep Babajimi Benson is aimed at preserving the lives of the innocent unborn babies of such convicted pregnant women.

Benson, while leading the debate on the bill, said, the legislation seeks to alter Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to insert a new subsection, which provides that if a pregnant woman is convicted of an offence punishable by death, the court shall sentence her to Life imprisonment instead of death sentence.

The bill was passed and referred to the Committee on Constitution Amendment for further legislative actions.