SAN FRANCISCO, January 17, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives has moved to protect the rights of the dead to rest in perfect peace following reports of unpalatable treatment meted to corpses.
In view of this, a bill, titled “A bill for Prohibition of Desecration of Dead Bodies in Nigeria” which seeks to protect dead bodies from abuses and undignified treatment passed the second on the floor of the House.
The bill, sponsored by Rita Orji, when passed into law hopes to defend the sanctity and sacredness of human life and compel people to respect the dead.
It also stipulates that anyone who abuses or desecrates a dead human body or any part of it purposely and illegitimately, will be jailed for 5 years.
While presenting the bill, Orji declared that desecration of the body should not be tolerated in any way, shape or form revealing that institutions which handle dead bodies, including the security outfits like soldiers in combat, follow laid down rules on how they are to handle the dead.
“All religions have respect for the dead. Different religions, especially the monotheistic faiths, don’t accept any desecration of their own dead or the enemy’s dead,” she said.
“In the modern day Nigeria a lot of people are into selling of dead people’s bodies some are even exhumed, dismembered and sold or used for all kinds of rituals.
“If the bill is passed into law, it will take care of such acts.”
The bill was subsequently passed after the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara called for a voice vote, and read for the second time.
