Jonathan signs violence against persons, immigration bills

President Goodluck Jonathan on
Monday signed two bills, earlier
passed by the National Assembly,
into law.
The bills, which have now become
Acts, are the Violence Against
Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 and
the Immigration Act 2015.
Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, confirmed the development
to State House correspondents.
Jonathan signed the bills into laws
barely four days to the expiration of
his tenure.
The President-elect, Muhammadu
Buhari, is billed to be inaugurated
as the country’s next President on
Friday.
The Senate had on May 4 passed
the Violence Against Persons
(Prohibition) Act 2015 into law.
The Act seeks to prohibit female
circumcision or genital mutilation,
forceful ejection from home and
harmful widowhood practices.
It also prohibits abandonment of
spouse, children and other
dependents without sustenance,
battery and harmful traditional
practices.
It also intends to eliminate
violence in private and public life
and provide maximum protection
and effective remedies for victims
of violence, and punishment of
offenders.
The law also prohibits economic
abuse, forced isolation and
separation from family and friends,
substance attack, depriving persons
of their liberty, incest, indecent
exposure, among others.
The bill was sponsored by the
Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-
Egba.
In his remarks, Deputy President of
the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who
presided at the session where the
bill was passed, said the passage of
the bill would provide adequate
protection for the vulnerable in the
society and punish those who take
advantage of them.