Forcefully sleep with your wife, risk life jail, Lagos government tells husbands

The Lagos state government has warned husbands against having sex with their wives without mutual consent, saying the action attracts a life imprisonment.

The warning was given Monday by the director of Public Prosecution, Lagos state Ministry of Justice, Adebayo Harow, at a briefing to announce the  flag off the Lagos state Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness (DSVA).

While responding to a question on whether Nigerian law allows a married woman to sue her husband for rape for having sex with her without her consent as it’s obtainable in other countries, Adebayo responded that while the law in Nigeria does not recognise such as  rape, it however categorised it as ‘Sexual Assault by Penetration’ and attracts a life imprisonment under the state law.

He noted that when couples are not in good terms and the husband forcefully have carnal knowledge of his wife without her consent, the wife has the right to sue the man for ‘sexual assault by penetration.’ He maintained that the man will be charged for other offences.

“Any man that felt because he paid his wife’s dowry, so, nobody could challenge him for domestic violence, the wife should report such man to Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.

“Under Lagos state criminal law, a man cannot be accused of  raping his wife if they are together  and  are in good terms.

However, once there’s an issue between them and the wife refuses to have sex with him, the husband cannot force her. If the husband forced her and the wife reported him, we will not charge him for rape but for sexual assault by penetration and the punishment is life imprisonment,” he said.