BY IFEOMA IKEM
A nongovernmental organization known as Women Arise against domestic violence led by the chairman, Dr Joe Okei Odumakin, staged a rally to raise alarm over an increase of Gender Base Violence, GBV in Lagos State.
Hundred of the members including the performing artists assembled at the popular Allen avenue in Ikeja where they marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly, LAHA, to meet with the leadership of the house.
While they were marching to the house, they sang different song condemning the spate of gender violence with the inscription written of their placards and shirts.
Addressing journalists, Odumakin, said GBV staged the rally duo to an alarming increase in gender violence affecting the female gender and is threatening the future of our youths.
She noted that both perpetrators and victims of violence are youths which we must all join hands to discourage.
“The mission of Women Arise was to raise alarm and sensitize the public on the dangers and work out measures to arrest the odd trend.
“Young persons are largely victims of rape, trafficking, early force-marriage, mob actions and forms of domestic violence”she stated.
She explained that GBV cause injuries, disorientation, disorganization, displacement and death and added that. It should be discouraged and prevented in our society to be safe.
She advised that we should be our brothers and sisters keeper and report any form of violence in our area and support the victim by reporting such incident to the police.
She said Women Arise have commissioned ambassadors to champion the cause of GBV in the society.
Among them include the Lagos State police public Relation officer, PPRO, Sp Dolapo Badmos who also attended the rally.
Others include the popular comedian, Ali Baba Akporobome, other artists are Saudi Balogun, kate Henshaw, Chioma Akpotha, Funke Daramola-Salako and Shola Idowu.
Others include Dayo Musa, princess Adekoya, Kofi Idowu and many others.
At the LAHA, the speaker and other house members welcomed the group and pledge their support to their mission.
The speaker, Idowu Obasa commended the efforts of the group for creating awareness and said that the house have passed many laws in support of the mission to ensure that the society was free from any forms of violence.
The Lagos Police spokeperson, Badmos Oladapo in the vein reiterated the police determination to curb the incident of violence in the society and warned those doing it to stop it otherwise the police will arrest and prosecute such persons.