Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State says drastic action is needed to tackle the rising cases of rape.
The Governor made this known during a virtual meeting organized by the Movement Against Rape and Sexual Violence (MARS-V).
He said Kaduna State had enacted laws that provided life imprisonment for anyone convicted of rape of a minor and 21 years for rape of an adult.
Governor El-Rufai said it was important for parents to teach their male children the need to respect women.
The Governor regretted that the fear of stigmatization, breakdown of the judicial system and lack of detailed investigation were some of the factors hindering the prosecution of rape cases and gender based violence.
He called for the training of victims and law enforcement officers on the preservation of evidence for successful prosecution of rape cases.
The Governor also advised that victims be sensitized on the importance of keeping evidence, to ensure that perpetrators of such heinous acts were brought to justice.
Wife of the governor, Hajiya Ummi El-Rufai, who was one of the panelists, called for tough and more extreme laws against rape.
The wife of the Governor emphasized the need for parents to always speak up when their children were raped.
In a remark, Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, explained that the rape epidemic has existed for a long time in Nigeria, stressing that women and girls have always been affected by Gender Based Violence.
The Minister underscored the need to eliminate vices that violated the fundamental rights of women and girls.
She also called for collaboration between Government Agencies such as NAPTIP and NGOs in tackling rape cases and other violence against women and girls in Nigeria.