(Justice Alogba)
Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, has called on all judicial officers in the State to continue to support the crusade against Sexual and Gender Based Violence, SGBV.
He said this when the state Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) visited the Lagos State High Court Osbornefor the at the adorning ceremony of the magistrates.
He said “I would like us to become apostles of this fight against this heinous crime because as I have always said, once you debase a lady, you have dehumanise society. The scar will always be there. It will impact even children and the trend will continue”.
“That is a reason we must not relent in our efforts to fight against this menace, not only in our official capacities but where we see something, please say something and encourage anyone experiencing Abuse in any form to speak out because these crimes thrive in the cover which we give it, in the name of cultural habits. Reporting perpetrators and ensuring they are prosecuted and dealt with by the law towards eradicating the scourge”, he stated.
Justice Alogba also commended the Executive Secretary and the entire DSVA team for doing so well in the fight against the menace in society, praying that posterity will reward every one of them for doing so much for humanity.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, had adorned Judges and Magistrates of the Family Courts and the Domestic and Sexual Offences Courts with purple ribbons, in commemoration of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
Executive Secretary of DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, in her remark at the adorning ceremony, thanked the revered Judges and Magistrates for the opportunity to adorn judicial officers with purple crests which symbolise and depict domestic violence awareness.
She said the event was symbolic and is in commemoration of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month which is held annually in September in keeping up with the DSVA’s statutory mandate of heightening awareness and ensuring residents of Lagos are appropriately informed about the issues of SGBV, penalties when flouted and the availability of free support services for victims/survivors.
She said, “We are using this opportunity to appreciate the Lagos State Judiciary for being the pacesetter for other State Judiciaries to emulate. It is undoubtedly on record that the Lagos State Judiciary is the first State in Nigeria to designate specialised courts for the adjudication of Domestic and Sexual Violence Offences. This is just one of the many firsts of the Lagos State Judiciary”.
“We, however, solicit for continuous support from the judiciary in ensuring that the relevant criminal laws on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence are interpreted and applied with gender sensitivity and that SGBV cases are adjudicated upon swiftly. Indeed, justice delayed is Justice denied”, Vivour-Adeniyi added.
