Female circumcision has been declared a criminal offense punishable by a four-year jail term, according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
This information was shared by the agency via its official Twitter account, @naptipnigeria, recently.
A Twitter user, @realmuhammadd, questioned whether it was necessary to circumcise newborn girls.
Responding to this, another user, @AAAlhlaji21, claimed that performing circumcision on baby girls was important to prevent promiscuity in their future.
NAPTIP, however, dismissed the belief that female circumcision could deter promiscuity in females and strongly cautioned against the practice.
“Dear Muhammad, it’s important to note that female circumcision is a violation under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) 2015 and legislations in various states,” stated NAPTIP.
“Anyone found guilty of carrying out female circumcision can face up to four years of imprisonment, while attempting it can lead to a two-year jail term,” NAPTIP emphasized.
The agency also stated that those who encourage, support, or advise others to commit the act of female circumcision could face up to two years of imprisonment.
“Let’s take this opportunity to educate others and spread awareness. Remember, female circumcision is a criminal act,” the agency reiterated.