Lagos State First Lady, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday vowed that the State Government will continue to implement various initiatives aimed at stamping out the heinous crime of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the State, especially against women and children.

Sanwo-Olu, who spoke during a press briefing held at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja to unveil activities lined up to mark this year’s Lagos GBV Week and the global 16 Days of Activism to end violence against women and girls, said the commitment of the present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains the same which is zero tolerance to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.

According to her, “Today is another great day in the annals of Lagos State as we jointly march forward in our quest to frontally stamp out all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), especially against women and children in our communities across the State.

“Essentially, we are here to unveil activities we have lined up in furtherance of the Lagos State Gender-Based Violence Week designed to scale up awareness and galvanize action. This is with the view to ensuring eradication of the menace of violence against women and girls in our dear state.”

She said the Lagos GBV Week was being championed through a collaborative effort between her Office and critical stakeholders including Ministries of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; Youth and Social Development; Justice; Education; Health, Information and Strategy; Lagos State Judiciary, and the Nigerian Police Force.

“It is also in line with the cause being championed by the 36 First Ladies in Nigeria, via our forum, to collectively end rape in the country, as well as the global 16 Days of Activism of the United Nations, which is an annual campaign to end violence against women,” she said.

Speaking on the 2020 UN Campaign - “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!,” the First Lady said it was necessitated by the challenges brought about by the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic, which according to her, effectively altered life and ensured an unanticipated lockdown not just in Nigeria, but across the world.

“As all efforts were geared toward battling Covid-19 pandemic, the issue of an already-existing pandemic of rape and violence against women and children was relegated to the background, and the result was a worrisome and alarming spike in rape cases across the country,” she said, adding that her office and other stakeholders have been collaboratively working to address the menace.

On activities for the GBV Week, Sanwo-Olu said plans have been firmed up to embark on a massive Social Media Campaign, Identification of Complaint Platforms, Documentary and Docudrama as well as Sensitization of various Women Groups.

She added that a working visit would be paid to Office of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) in Alausa as well as the Gender Desk Unit of the Nigerian Police, Panti.

“Also, we will be visiting the Proposed Shelter Sites for victims of Domestic Violence being spearheaded by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), which is one of the success stories of our collaborative effort on ending Gender-Based Violence, with regards to care for victims.

“Furthermore, in continuation of the visit to Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas, we shall also be embarking on Symbolic Walk against Rape in some notorious Local Government Areas across the State.

“The highpoint of the GBV Week is a visit to Mr. Governor; Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu who I must confess has been commendably supportive and leading efforts to fight the heinous crime of rape and all forms of Gender-Based Violence in the State. A Compendium of Stakeholders’ Meeting on Gender-Based Violence in Lagos State will also be presented to Mr. Governor during the visit.

“Our aim of doing this is that we envision a society where Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is reduced to the barest minimum and we are determined to achieve this by working collaboratively and effectively with relevant stakeholders,” the First Lady said.

On her part, Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat urged members of the public to join the effort of the State Government to drastically reduce the menace of rape and all forms of gender-based violence.

The press conference was attended by relevant stakeholders including Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos Branch, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya; representatives of African Women Lawyers Association, Youth Council of Nigeria, and Parents Forum in Lagos State, among others.

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Senator Ali Ndume at Kuje prison for failing to produce the former chairman of the defunct pension reform task Team, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina’s who is said to have jumped bail. Maina is standing trial in the charges of N2B alleged fraud but was granted bail by the court in the sum of N500M with one surety in the like sum who must be a serving senator with ownership of property worth N500M in Abuja.

However, after about six months in prison due to his inability to meet the bail conditions, Senator Ndume volunteered and stood surety for Maina with a proviso to pay the federal government N500M in case Maina bolts away. Upon his release form prison on the strength of Senator Ndume’s suretyship, Maina for four consecutive time refused to appear in court without any cogent or verifiable reasons. To compound the problem, senator Ndume told the court of his inability to locate Maina since he was released on bail. The last warning given senator Ndume to produce Maina expired with the same excuse that he did not know the whereabouts of Maina. In a bench ruling, Justice Okon Abang, ordered Ndume’s remand pending the fulfilment of his bail bond which is a forfeiture of five hundred million Nara to the federal government.

The court also empowered the federal government to sell senator Ndume’s property at Asokoro in order to recover the five hundred million Nara bail bond. Justice Abang added that senator Ndume shall be released from Kuje prison once he is able to pay the five hundred million Nara to the federal government or if the prosecutor is able to dispose the property and payment made to the federal government. The trial in absential of Maina has been fixed for November, 24. 2020

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 jailed four illegal oil dealers. The quartet, namely: Jabu Kimidengiyefa, Price Ogun, Daniel Aghovwieokpo and Nice Bien were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on separate one-count charge of selling and distributing petroleum products without licence and authorisation.

The charge against Kimidengiyefa read, “That you Jabu Kimidengiyefa (m) on or about the 4th January, 2020 at around Escravos, Delta State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did sell or distribute petroleum products in Nigeria without due licence, granted by the minister and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4(1) of the petroleum Act Cap P10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria ( Revised Edition),2004 and punishable under 4(6) of the same Act.” He and all others, pleaded guilty to their charge, upon which prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Mohammed asked the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while defence counsel, R.U. Oyiwona pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, saying the defendants have shown remorse. Justice Nwite convicted and sentenced them to two years imprisonment each and ordered that they undertake in writing to be of good behaviour, henceforth.