Rape: Lagos Assembly calls on police, other agencies to enforce laws

·         4 hours ago

 

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday urged police

and other relevant government agencies to enforce the existing

 laws on rape to address rampant cases of sexual abuses.

This followed a motion by Mojisola Meiranda (APC-Apapa I)

 under matters of urgent public importance on the increasing cases

of rape and other sexual abuses in the society.

The House also urged the State Attorney-General and Minister of

 Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation,

Commissioner

 of Police and Minister of Youths, Sports and Social Development to

address the issue.

The lawmakers urged relevant agencies to investigate specifically the

recent gang-raping of a 13-year-old girl in Owode-Ibese, Ikorodu area

 of the state.

Meiranda, explaining the motion, decried the incidence of sexual abuses

and criminal cases, describing the situation as alarming and disheartening.

The lawmaker said she read a publication on the alleged gang-raping of a

13-year-old girl, adding that the victim was carrying three months pregnancy.

According to her, the incident, which happened at Owode-Ibese in Ikorodu

area of the state, was condemnable and needed attention.

Meiranda noted: “So, parents and guardians should be watchful of the kind

of people they leave their children and ward with, either both male and female.

“Children and wards should also be educated on how to raise alarm when they

sense danger.”

Advertisement

The Chairman, House Committee on Science and Technology, Nurudeen

Solaja-Saka, said the culprits, who allegedly carried out the act in Ibese, should

be brought to book.

Solaja-Saka (APC-Ikorodu II) said policemen and traditional rulers in the area

were already assisting in the investigation of the matter.

The Chairman, House Committee on Accounts (State), Moshood Oshun, decried stigmatization attached to rape victims in our society.

Oshun said efforts should be made to build confidence in the families of the

victims so that they would not be stigmatized.

He said that there was need to make use of sex register and publicize rape

offenders to enable people who reside with them to know the kind of persons

they were living with.

The Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Yinka Ogundimu, said the existing

laws were comprehensive and addressed rape cases.

Ogundimu said: “The police should do something about this issue very fast

and also work harder to ensure that things go back to normal in our society.”

The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, expressed called for more regular

campaign against violence, rape and sexual abuses.

Obasa said police should also put more efforts in their pursuit against violence.

He further stated: “There are no respects for laws that guide the society. Parents

should be careful of who they keep their wards with.

“There should also be a regular campaign against rape.”