No pardon for rapists, says Sanwo-Olu

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said no offender indicted in reported cases of rape and gender-based violence will go scot-free under his watch.

The governor spoke on Thursday when he received a 54-page compendium on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence compiled by the Stakeholders’ Committee set up by this wife, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, to give recommendations on how the fight against the crime can be won.

Sanwo-Olu, who is the incident commander for gender-based violence in Lagos, reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting the vulnerable demographics and getting justice for victims violated.

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 these 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.”

Earlier, Ibijoke had called on the government to step up the response geared towards reducing sexual and gender-based violence to the barest minimum.

She said her drive was to work with the committee and create a society where gender-based violence would be reduced to barest minimum.

She 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.”