The Senate has paused debate on a bill proposing tougher penalties for aiding abortions in Nigeria.
Lawmakers disagreed on defining unlawful abortion, prompting a review by the Judiciary Committee.
The Nigerian Senate has suspended consideration of the Criminal Code Amendment Bill, which proposed a 10-year jail term for anyone found guilty of supplying drugs or instruments used to carry out abortions.
The bill was stepped down on Tuesday after confusion arose among senators on how to determine when an abortion is unlawful. Several lawmakers argued that some abortions may be medically necessary or influenced by economic hardship.
Originally introduced by the House of Representatives, the bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code Act to reflect current social and economic realities. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele presented it during plenary alongside two other proposed laws, the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill and the Dietician Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill.
The amendment sought to raise the penalty for aiding abortions from three years imprisonment, as currently stipulated, to 10 years without an option of fine.
However, Senator Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central) cautioned that abortion could be justified in certain medical or religious circumstances, urging his colleagues to review the provision thoroughly. Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP) added that such a law might discourage doctors from helping women facing life-threatening pregnancy complications.
Responding to the concerns, Senate President Godswill Akpabio suspended further consideration of the bill, directing the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters to clarify the definition of lawful and unlawful abortion and report back within two weeks.
Abortion remains illegal in Nigeria except when performed to save the life of the pregnant woman, under a legal framework drawn from the Criminal Code Act (South) and the Penal Code (North); however, despite these restrictions, unsafe abortions remain widespread, contributing significantly to maternal deaths across the country.
Following the Senate’s decision to suspend the bill, in a related move, lawmakers also proposed life imprisonment for anyone convicted of def!ling m!nors and 10 years in prison for individuals found guilty of s€xually ab3sing a person of the opposite sex.
