1st September, 2016
At least, 80.9 percent of sex convicts and inmates awaiting trial for sexual and gender based violence in Lagos prisons have been abused during childhood, a recent report has revealed.
The report, conducted by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Response Team, DSVRT, revealed that due to the early abuse, the inmates had been sexually active, leading to sexual offences being committed by them.
At a news conference at the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Thursday, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem said that DSVRT in February 2016 commissioned a detailed research in all prison facilities in Lagos State on sex convicts and inmates awaiting trial for sexual and gender based violence cases.
“Results of the research disclosed that 80.9 percent of the inmates were abused as a child implying that they had become sexually active at an early age. This illustrates the trend of “abused abuser.”
“DSVRT has also scientifically discovered that a lot of attention has been on fenale, unconsciously neglecting male who have a major role to play in tackling and preventing Sexual and Gender Based Violence, SGBV,” said Kazeem, who is also the Chairman, DSVRT.
Kazeem, who was represented by the Alternate Chairman, DSVRT, Omotilewa Ibirogba said in a bid to arrest the situation, DSVRT was organizing the first ever all ‘Male Walks’ in Ikeja and Festac to coincide with the second anniversary of the oganisation.
The event which will take place on 8 September, 2016 will be jointly flagged off by the Sole Administrator of Ikeja Local Government and members of the State House of Assembly from Ikeja Under Bridge and climaxed at the Lagos House where Governor Akinwumi Ambode will receive the Team.
According to Kazeem, highlights of the events included symposium, children event and enlightenment through arts, as well as commendation night.
Ibirogba, who lauded the level of increased reportage of abuse cases and handling by relevant law enforcement agencies, as well as Ambode’s commendation, called on more people to come out to report such cases.
Also speaking, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Dolapo Badmos warned people who hide under religion to abuse their victims sexually and domestically to desist or face the full wrath of the law.
Badmos who confirmed that recently, 30 girls were rescued from an acclaimed man of God in Lagos, noted that there had been an increase in the reportage of abuse incidents, urging members of the public to report more cases.
She added that the police was partnering with the Office of the Attorney-General of the State and the DSVRT team to train personnel on how to handle such cases, as well as create eight divisions for family support units in Ikorodu, Ketu, Badagry Adeniji-Adele, Isokoko and Ilupeju to attend to sexual abuse and domestic violence cases.