BENI LAR V.S PENAL CODE OF NORTHERN NIGERIA
“Our lives begin to end the day we became silent about things that matter”
- Martin Luther King Jnr
In response to the text message sent to daily trust newspaper of January 15, 2009, by a woman from Maiduguri , criticising the statement made by Chairman House committee on Human right Honourable Beni Lar on the interview granted to her by the same newspaper of January 14, 2009. In the interview, Beni Lar was asked: “what do you have to say about wife beaters especially when you here men say I paid her bride price so I can beat her when I feel like?” In her response she said, I quote “I am sure you know a wife is a human being and a woman is as good as any man. I would believe that the problem we have with that is the penal code in northern Nigeria allows wife beating and that is very outdated.” So the woman from Maiduguri has this to say, I quote “Let me correct a very wrong impression making the rounds in Nigeria . Whoever said that the penal code in northern Nigeria allows wife beating is a big liar. Northern laws have respect for women.” It was as a result of this encounter, I find it necessary to make my own input concerning the subject matter so as for all of us to have a clear picture of what Beni Lar means.
As a result of a survey and series of consultations to some learned gentlemen and women, I was made to believe that section 55 of northern Nigeria ’s penal code really allows wife beating, below is an excerpts from the section:
“Wife beating is permitted in so far as it does not amount to grievous injury… Nothing is an offence which does not amount to the infliction of grievous hurt upon any person and which is done by husband for the purpose of correcting his wife, such husband or wife being subjected to any native law or custom in which such correction is recognised as lawful.”
I was also made to believe that penal code came in to being as far back 1958 in an attempt to reconcile English criminal law with Islamic Shari’ah law and also the traditions of the people of northern Nigeria who are predominantly Muslims. From the foregoing, it is very clear to me that many men hide under the provision of section 55 of the penal code, to perpetrate violence against women, there by denying them the opportunity to enjoy their right as contain in the chapter four of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria .
Another interesting thing raise by Beni Lar was that, her self and personalities like Honourable farouk Lawan are currently working on a bill that will help in bringing the perpetrators of violence against women to book, so as for them to face the appropriate penalty. To me, this is a very interesting development and is one of the best things that will ever happen in the Nigeria ’s national assembly. According to Beijing declaration and plat form for action, violence against women “result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.” It has many forms ranging from raping, beating, and any other thing that can cause physical or psychological harm. The must annoying and disturbing thing in Nigeria, is that the perpetrators of this acts are most of the time left unfurnished, as the Secretary General of Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) observed, she said while reacting to what happen to Ms Rosemary Dzer, a victim of acid bath, that “gender based violence in Nigeria rather than reduced is increasing by the day and with new and hitherto unknown method of attacks.” This is perhaps more than unfortunate and shameful.
In order for us to have a violence free society, we need to have violence against women bill both at the federal and state level, failure to do that our society will eventually decay. I am personally advising the entire members of our law making body (National Assembly) to corporate with Beni Lar and other members who are working on the bills, so as to ensure a successful passage of the bill as soon as it come out, and to also prevent our society from moral decay.
NURA IRO MA’AJI
SYAHD, KANO STATE , NIGERIA
nuramaaji@gmail.com
2348032601697
“Our lives begin to end the day we became silent about things that matter”
- Martin Luther King Jnr
In response to the text message sent to daily trust newspaper of January 15, 2009, by a woman from Maiduguri , criticising the statement made by Chairman House committee on Human right Honourable Beni Lar on the interview granted to her by the same newspaper of January 14, 2009. In the interview, Beni Lar was asked: “what do you have to say about wife beaters especially when you here men say I paid her bride price so I can beat her when I feel like?” In her response she said, I quote “I am sure you know a wife is a human being and a woman is as good as any man. I would believe that the problem we have with that is the penal code in northern Nigeria allows wife beating and that is very outdated.” So the woman from Maiduguri has this to say, I quote “Let me correct a very wrong impression making the rounds in Nigeria . Whoever said that the penal code in northern Nigeria allows wife beating is a big liar. Northern laws have respect for women.” It was as a result of this encounter, I find it necessary to make my own input concerning the subject matter so as for all of us to have a clear picture of what Beni Lar means.
As a result of a survey and series of consultations to some learned gentlemen and women, I was made to believe that section 55 of northern Nigeria ’s penal code really allows wife beating, below is an excerpts from the section:
“Wife beating is permitted in so far as it does not amount to grievous injury… Nothing is an offence which does not amount to the infliction of grievous hurt upon any person and which is done by husband for the purpose of correcting his wife, such husband or wife being subjected to any native law or custom in which such correction is recognised as lawful.”
I was also made to believe that penal code came in to being as far back 1958 in an attempt to reconcile English criminal law with Islamic Shari’ah law and also the traditions of the people of northern Nigeria who are predominantly Muslims. From the foregoing, it is very clear to me that many men hide under the provision of section 55 of the penal code, to perpetrate violence against women, there by denying them the opportunity to enjoy their right as contain in the chapter four of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria .
Another interesting thing raise by Beni Lar was that, her self and personalities like Honourable farouk Lawan are currently working on a bill that will help in bringing the perpetrators of violence against women to book, so as for them to face the appropriate penalty. To me, this is a very interesting development and is one of the best things that will ever happen in the Nigeria ’s national assembly. According to Beijing declaration and plat form for action, violence against women “result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.” It has many forms ranging from raping, beating, and any other thing that can cause physical or psychological harm. The must annoying and disturbing thing in Nigeria, is that the perpetrators of this acts are most of the time left unfurnished, as the Secretary General of Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) observed, she said while reacting to what happen to Ms Rosemary Dzer, a victim of acid bath, that “gender based violence in Nigeria rather than reduced is increasing by the day and with new and hitherto unknown method of attacks.” This is perhaps more than unfortunate and shameful.
In order for us to have a violence free society, we need to have violence against women bill both at the federal and state level, failure to do that our society will eventually decay. I am personally advising the entire members of our law making body (National Assembly) to corporate with Beni Lar and other members who are working on the bills, so as to ensure a successful passage of the bill as soon as it come out, and to also prevent our society from moral decay.
NURA IRO MA’AJI
SYAHD, KANO STATE , NIGERIA
nuramaaji@gmail.com
2348032601697
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