Nigerian state to punish rapists with surgical castration

Anyone raping a child under age 14 will face the death penalty.

(KYMA, KECY) - The governor of Nigeria's Kaduna state signed a law saying men convicted of rape would face surgical castration.

The New York Times said men convicted of raping children under 14 will have their testicles removed before being executed. As for women, they will have their fallopian tubes cut out.

Nigerians believe the new law will see fewer rapes.

Kaduna's governor, Nasir el-Rufai said these new measures will "protect children from serious crime." The question remains as to why rapists would be castrated if they are going to be executed, however, the answer was not immediately clear.

Sources said Kaduna state government is the only one in the West African country to adopt such harsh punishment for rape, but castration has been tried elsewhere.

Last December, the minister for women's affair in Nigeria said two million women and girls were raped. In June, they saw a spike in cases due to women and girls being locked down with their abusers during the pandemic.

The New York Times said Nigeria has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world.