Incessant rape of minor, Lagos Assembly wades in

By Lanre Adesanya

Perturbed by the recurring decimal of rape cases,members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have called on  appropriate security agencies to intensify enforcement of the existing criminal laws in order to proffer immediate solutions to sexual abuse cases in the State.

Hon. Meiranda Mojisola representing Apapa constituency I, who made the call at the Plenary under Matter of Urgent Public Importance decried the rate at which sexual abuse and criminal cases occur in the State is alarming and quite disheartening.

She stated “I came across a story of a 13year old girl in a national newspaper who was gang raped and got pregnant by three men including a 60year old in Owode Ibeshe area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.

So, parent and guardian should be watchful of the kind of people they leave their children and ward with, either male or female, children and wards should also be educated on how to raise alarm when they sense danger.”

Contributing, Hon. Nurudeen Solaja-Saka expressed that the culprits carried out the drastic act in an uncompleted building in Ibeshe. He added that the policemen, Kabiyesi and Chiefs are investigating the matter.

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Hon. Moshood Oshun noted that there are so many stigmatization attached to rape victims in our society and effort should be made to build confidence, to enable the families of the victims so that they will not be stigmatized.

He also suggested that there is need to make use of sex register and publicize rape offenders so that people who are residing with them would know the kind of person they are living with.

Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa expressed that there should be regular campaign against violence, rape and abuses, that the police should put more effort in their pursuit against violence. He advised that rape cases goes beyond calling attention of parents but to call relevant agencies to enforce existing laws to prosecute rape offenders in order to serve as deterrent to others.

To this end, the House resolved to call on Lagos State Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Commissioner of Police, and Minister for Youths, Sports and Social Development to look into cases of rape in the State particularly the recent gang raping of a 13yr old girl in Owode-Ibese Ikorodu area of Lagos State.