The Kebbi State House of Assembly has passed a bill repealing the state’s Child Rights Law No. 012 of 2021 and re-enacting a new Child Protection Law, 2025.

The decision followed the consideration of a report by the House Committee on Justice and Judiciary, presented during plenary on Tuesday.

Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Faruk Abubakar (APC, Suru), said the bill, comprising 209 sections and 16 schedules, had undergone an extensive review to address existing challenges.

He explained that the committee engaged more than 20 interest groups during the public hearing, including traditional leaders, the Council of Ulama, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, the Nigerian Bar Association, and various child rights advocacy organisations.

Abubakar noted that several amendments were made, including replacing “2024” with “2025” throughout the bill. The fine in Section 26(2) was raised from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million, while Section 30(1)(a)(i) was expanded to clearly define acts constituting unlawful sexual intercourse with a child.

He added that in Section 127(9)(a)(i), the phrase “of state” was replaced with “State Government” for greater clarity.

The Leader of the House, Alhaji Faruk Nasarawa (APC, Jega), moved the motion for the third reading, which was seconded by Alhaji Muhammad Tukur (APC, Shanga).

Speaker of the House, Alhaji Muhammad Usman-Zuru, who presided over the session, put the motion to a voice vote, and it was unanimously adopted.

Usman-Zuru commended the committee for its thorough work, stating that the passage of the bill demonstrates the Assembly’s commitment to protecting and promoting the welfare of children in Kebbi State.