…as AGF strikes out plea bargain with suspects
The Nigeria Governors Forum has agreed to declare a state of emergency on sexual and gender-based violence against women and children.
They also renewed commitment to ensuring that offenders face the full weight of the law.
This was contained in a communique signed by the Chairman of the NGF, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, after the forum’s 10th COVID-19 teleconference meeting held on Wednesday.
The communique was issued in Abuja, on Thursday.
Governors agreed to, “Declare a State of Emergency on Sexual and Gender-based Violence. Governors strongly condemned all forms of violence against women and children and committed to ensuring that offenders face the maximum weight of the law;
“Call on State Governors that have not already domesticated relevant gender-based protection laws to domesticate the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, the Child Rights Act and the updated Penal Code to increase protection for women and children and ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of perpetrators in addition to creating a sex offenders register in each State to name and shame.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), said on Thursday that he was set to inaugurate the Inter-Ministerial Gender-based Violence Management Committee to address the rising cases of rape in the country.
Among other tasks to be assigned to the committee is reaffirming the policy of opposing bail applications and rejecting plea bargain proposals from perpetrators of rape and child defilement.
The committee will also ensure that such convicted offenders do not get prerogative of mercy.
This is contained in a statement issued by Malami’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Dr Umar Gwandu, on Thursday.
The committee, according to the statement, will comprise “functional and skilled officers drawn from” the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, among others.
The statement read in part, “A people-oriented government that listens to the yearnings and aspirations of its citizen, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Justice has identified with call for national response against rape and sexual assault in the country.
“In fulfilment of the Ministry’s mandate and its determination to urgently address this heinous crime, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will see to the immediate inauguration of an Inter-Ministerial Gender-based Violence Management Committee that will comprise of functional and skilled officers.”
