Jaha told journalists that he regretted his comments wherein he said that women should cultivate a habit of proper dressing to avoid unnecessary harassment from men, who are unable to control themselves.
A member of Nigeria's House of Representatives, Alhaji Ahmed Jaha, from Borno State on Saturday apologised to Nigerians especially women for comments he made during plenary on Thursday blaming women for the incessant rape incidents in the country.
Jaha told journalists that he regretted his comments wherein he said that women should cultivate a habit of proper dressing to avoid unnecessary harassment from men, who are unable to control themselves.
He said, “I have made a mistake that has offended the sensibilities of fellow Nigerians and indeed fellow human beings, particularly women who are our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.
"While I totally reaffirm my position that rapists should face death sentence, I regret the part that talks about the dressing of women.
“I deeply apologise for this position, because as some had rightly argued, my comments could imply that women who are victims share the blame of being raped. This clearly, could not have been the intention of someone who suggested death penalty for rapists."
The lawmaker also apologised to his colleagues in the House and his constituents, who might have been disappointed by his comments especially female lawmakers.
He therefore called for the domestication of Violence Against Persons and Prohibition Act and other relevant laws against gender-based violence in the country.