An Instagram post shows a screenshot of a tweet from the New York Post tabloid newspaper.
“Men convicted of rape will be castrated in Nigeria under new law,” the tweet reads. Included is a link to a news article with the same headline.
The Instagram post was flagged as possibly false by Facebook’s fact-checking system. Although the claim is true, one important detail has been left out of the headline.
The headline of the New York Post article claims that men convicted of rape will be castrated in Nigeria under a new law. But the punishment is being implemented in one Nigerian state, not the entire country.
This clarification is only made in the body of the article.
According to the legislation, signed by Kaduna state governor Nasir el-Rufai on 11 September 2020, men convicted of raping children under the age of 14 will have their testicles surgically removed, and then be executed. Men convicted of raping people over the age of 14 also face castration, followed by life imprisonment.
The drastic measures are intended to “protect children from serious crime”, a government spokesperson is quoted as saying. According to the United Nations Children's Fund, one in four girls in Nigeria is sexually abused before they turn 18.
A number of credible news outlets have reported on these severe penalties and their reception by society. – Africa Check
“Men convicted of rape will be castrated in Nigeria under new law,” the tweet reads. Included is a link to a news article with the same headline.
The Instagram post was flagged as possibly false by Facebook’s fact-checking system. Although the claim is true, one important detail has been left out of the headline.
Punishment signed into law in one Nigerian state
The headline of the New York Post article claims that men convicted of rape will be castrated in Nigeria under a new law. But the punishment is being implemented in one Nigerian state, not the entire country.
This clarification is only made in the body of the article.
According to the legislation, signed by Kaduna state governor Nasir el-Rufai on 11 September 2020, men convicted of raping children under the age of 14 will have their testicles surgically removed, and then be executed. Men convicted of raping people over the age of 14 also face castration, followed by life imprisonment.
The drastic measures are intended to “protect children from serious crime”, a government spokesperson is quoted as saying. According to the United Nations Children's Fund, one in four girls in Nigeria is sexually abused before they turn 18.
A number of credible news outlets have reported on these severe penalties and their reception by society. – Africa Check
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