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The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Olubunmi Adelugba and the wife of the state governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji have lamented the rising cases of gender-based violence, advocating effective prosecution of offenders to reduce the menace in the state.
Speaking on Monday at a special plenary session held by the Assembly as part of activities marking the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the speaker insisted that the epidemic of rape and other forms of sexual offences must end in the state.
Adelugba said she was alarmed and concerned that despite a robust legislative and policy intervention in the state, Gender-Based Violence, and sexual and domestic violence appear to continue unabated in communities across the state.
She called for more vigorous and effective prosecution of sex offenders and other violators of Gender-Based Violence to end the culture of impunity and foster a culture of justice for the victims and deterrent for the offenders and potential offenders.
She said, “I want to state at this juncture that more still needs to be done in the effective prosecution of sex offenders in Ekiti State and the task is a collaborative one among individuals, filed, communities, civil society organizations and stakeholders in the criminal justice system.
“I want to remind all and sundry that Gender-Based Violence represents a crime against individuals, society and humanity. We must all join hands together to stop it; we must all rise and work together to fight and end the rape epidemic in Ekiti State.
“Our collective response to the scourge of Gender-Based Violence must be proactive and efficient to end the culture of impunity and foster a culture of justice and deterrence. ”
The governor’s wife noted that the administration of Biodun Oyebanji would do everything possible to stamp out the menace from the state, warning perpetrators to desist from the act.
The immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, SAN presented an overview of Gender-Based Violence in the state and what the state government had been doing to curb the incidence.
Fapohunda said the incidence of rape had assumed an alarming dimension which prompted the implementation of the Name and Shame policy against sex offenders and the opening of the Sexual Offenders Register.
The Senior Advocate pointed out that gender-based violence and rape offenders include the learned and the unlearned, highly placed individuals, lowly individuals, clergymen, lecturers, teachers, and civil servants, among others.
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Ekiti speaker, governor’s wife lament, seek effective prosecution of sex offenders
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