Stakeholders Lament Prevalence Of Gender Based Violence In Ekiti

The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and the presiding Judge of Court of Appeal Court, Ado Ekiti Division, Justice Uzor Ndukwe- Anyanwu, expressed worries over frequent cases of the violence against women in Ekiti. Speaking at a stakeholders meeting on strengthening the legal and institutional framework for the elimination of gender based violence in Ado Ekiti, Mrs Fayemi expressed regret that Ekiti continues to witness issues of rape, defilement and human trafficking in spite of the existing laws prohibiting gender based violence. This came as the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the police in the state puts the figure of the sexual offenders between 2014 and 2019 at 102. There were 17 cases of rape and child defilement out of which 16 have been referred appropriately. Defilement of 11 under 10 girls, according to DPP were also recorded between January and March, while 30 offenders are imprisoned and 8 already convicted. She said: “When Fayemi left, some of the laws put in place to safeguard the lives of women and girl child were not implemented”, saying this constituted a serious snag in the fight against the practice.” The first lady added three key areas that needed to be examined by stakeholders include the causes of gender based violence , how to use legal framework to resolve some of the issues revolving around this scourge and how to break the culture of silence among victims. “The third one is how to focus on inter agency collaboration, because this is not a problem that can be solved by a body “. Mrs Anyanwu said the issue has always been an issue of interest to Nigerian All Female Judges Association, particularly how to resolve the problem and make women safe wherever they go. “Ekiti has this as a big problem. I am worried that we have it in this proportion. It is not something cultural as people want us to believe”. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Fapohunda, said the government is ready to go all hogs to prevent the state from being tagged a thriving land for violence against women and girl child. “Reported cases of sexual rape, violence rape, and child defilement have now reached a frequency that we firmly must believe there is an urgent need for joint action between government and other stakeholders to reverse the scourge. “We are committed to zero tolerance for all forms of violence against women and children. Apart from legal interventions, we also take another step that photographs of convicted offenders should be placed on state’s website and announced on state broadcasting service. “Also in cases of defilement , we insist on compulsory psychiatric tests for all persons designated as having cases to answer in form of violence against women”. In his remarks, Police commissioner, Ekiti Command, Mr. Asuquo Amba, said any person defiled must pass through medical examination for the police to have proof to prefer charges against offenders. Amba, represented by officer in charge of Legal Department, Femi Falade , a Superintendent of Police urged the government to direct all public hospitals to offer free medical services to victims to prevent them from being made to pay for medical treatments , even while in emotional trouble. Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), FIDA, Christian Association of Nigeria (NBA), NAWOJ, NIS, State Judiciary NSCDC and other security agencies were represented at the stakeholders meeting.]]>