REVISITING THE DEFINITION OF RAPE UNDER THE NIGERIAN CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE

Abstract

The offence of Rape in Nigeria is a very heinous offence. It is an offence which the Criminal Codeseeks to  punish  with  life  imprisonment  with  or  without  the  option  of  fine.1Despite  this  serious  punishment meant for it, something desires to be done. It is correct to state that the Nigerian Criminal Code has had a very long history having been in existence for more than 50 years. This longevity so to say has somehow affected  the  offence  of  rape  vis  a  viz  its  definition.  The  definition  of  the  offence  of  rape  in  Nigerian Criminal  Jurisprudence  adopted  the  narrow  approach  that  was  the  hallmark  of  common  law  which referred to the woman as a property and which did not envisage the possibility of sexual act outside the vagina  or  outside  the  sexual  organs.  The  Criminal  Code  as  it  exists  did  not  envisage  the  fact  that  a husband  can  actually  rape  the  wife  or  thatan  act  of  rape  can  be  executed  without  the  sex  organs  of penetration.  It  did  not  also  anticipate  the  fact  that  carnal  connection  can  now  take  place  outside  the natural  circumference  of  its  original  design.  Flowing  from  these  among  others,  it  becomes  imperative that the offence of rape be redefined to incorporate the current situation of the offence as is obtainable in more modern society. It is these efforts that this work will be geared towards in order to achieve a more holistic definition and in turn call upon the policy makers to quickly associate with the current trends and make the law ever dynamic.