No Pardon For Rapists In Lagos – Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has vowed that victims of rape or other sexual and gender-based violence will get justice.

This is as he promised that anyone found guilty of rape or other sexual crimes will be made to face the full wrath of the law as his administration would not condone such behaviours in the society.

The Governor made the submission on Thursday when he received a 54-page compendium on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence compiled by the Stakeholders’ Committee set up by the First Lady of Lagos, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, to give recommendations on how the fight against the crime can be won.

The Governor in his response, reiterated the commitment of his administration in getting justice for the victims, noting that no offender will escape justice under his watch.

He also promised to fastrack the actualization of the recommendations by the stakeholders’ committee such that bureaucratic bottlenecks won’t be allowed to choke the idea.

The Governor said: “I am delighted by the work done by the Stakeholders’ Committee to bring attention to the problems facing voiceless adults and children in our society. Through your efforts, vulnerable people are building the courage to speak out on offences of sexual violence and heal their wounds.

“We will bring people who have been perpetrating this crimes, knowingly or unknowingly, to book. We will ensure they never walk freely without the full wrath of the law brought upon them. It is part of our responsibility to ensure that the vulnerable members of our society have a voice and have access to where they can get justice when their rights are violated.”

The Governor praised the First Lady for her leadership in bringing the team members together and for showing interest in issues bordering rights of the vulnerable and women development.

Dr. Sanwo-Olu said the vision for and her team is to create a society where gender-based violence would be reduced to the barest minimum.

The First Lady said: “The stakeholders have been having meetings for months and their discussions have focused on the key development pillars of the current administration as they relate to the rights of vulnerable citizens, especially those women and children.

“The Office of the First Lady has been working with the vision to reduce sexual and gender-based violence to the barest minimum if it is impossible to eradicate the crime. We have activated our response, bringing all stakeholders and communities on board to forge a common front in addressing the issue.”

Dr. Sanwo-Olu made a case of the establishment of Sexual Assault Referral Centres where all stakeholders can attend to and dispose of cases without delay. She also canvassed for the setting up of Government-owned shelters to rehabilitate survivors, stressing that the centres must be opened in the five traditional divisions of the State.