The Senate has passed the Sexual Offences Bill, 2015, which now prescribes life imprisonment for rapists and those who sexually molest children under the age of 11.

The bill was passed after a report was presented by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, headed by Umaru Dahiru, a senator from Sokoto.

The bill would henceforth give legal backing for the prosecution of sexual offenders.

Dahiru noted that if approved, rapists and child molesters will get life jail sentences, while other sex offenders will serve lengthy prison terms.

President of the Senate, David Mark, while thanking the senators for a job well done, equally congratulated Chris Anyanwu, the sponsor of the bill.

Some of the sexual offences captured by the bill include gang rape, lacing of drinks with drugs with intent to rape victims, deliberately infecting partner with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Others include child sex tourism, sexual harassment and prostitution of persons with mental disabilities.

The bill also prescribes the documentation of the names of sexual offenders in a database for institutional and social purposes.