Govt should ban sale of sex toys – Islamic scholar

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ZAINAB ONI

An Islamic scholar has urged the Federal Government to ban the sale of sex toys and other sex enhancement devices in the country.

This comes on the heels of reports of a high rate of sexual pervasion among Nigerians, ranging from the youth to the adults, and even the aged. Also, there had been an upsurge on reports of sexual offences such as rape, incest, sodomy, defilement and other peversions, this year.

The last administration had passed a bill into law forbidding same-sex marriage and imposed a 10 to 14-year jail term for anybody who violates the law. The law also outlaws the solemnisation of marriage or civil union between persons of same sex in any place of worship or in any place in Nigeria.

Reacting particularly to the prevalent sale of sex toys with which many masturbate or satisfy other sexual orgies, the Director of Baytul ilm College, an Islamic school in Lagos, Imam Ismael Lawal, noted that if the government wanted to curb sexual pervasion in the country, they must control the market.

He added that a person who is addicted to the use of these items may no longer fancy the human partner, which may lead to an increase in emotional bankruptcy.

He opined that it may also lead to an unattainable sex drive beyond what the other man or woman can give, which is why some of them no longer enjoy sex.

“Though it might have certain positive effects, however, the ills outweighed the positive effects as it leads to loss of the natural process,” he said.

However, another scholar, the chief missioner of Islamic Education Foundation and Faith Initiative, Sheikh Semiu Alkilany, noted that it may not be possible for the government to totally ban the sale of sex enhancement devices as the country is not a theocratic state, where a particular religion dominates the entire state.

Alkilany said, “Don’t forget that we are a secular country and all these pervasions are consequences of our secularism such that everybody has the freedom or right to do whatever they like, so long as they do not run afoul of the law or infringe on other people’s rights.”

“As a cleric, we may only recommend strongly in terms of the abolishment of the sale of these sexual products. But that may not change necessarily the concept of governance in our country, because these products are coming through our borders; they are being imported into the country. So, the law that allows them to be brought into the country has already cleared the ground for them to be used in the country.

“That is why it may not be so easy to tell the government to ban the sale of these products because, whether we like it or not, the constitution has guaranteed their right for that type of industry to thrive; but we could recommend strongly that if you are really an adherent of a particular faith, we should try as much as possible to avoid such acts of sexual pervasion.”