By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
Osun State Governor’s Wife, Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola, has presented to the public the Violence Against Persons Prohibited (VAPP) which was recently passed by the House of Assembly and signed by the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
The law was presented on Tuesday by the Osun First Lady at the Government House Banquet Hall in Osogbo, the state capital.
While briefing newsmen about the law, Mrs Oyetola, stated that the VAPP law became necessary in order to arrest the upsurge in the incidence of rape and sexual violence in the state.
The Osun First Lady added that some of the issues covered by the law include “rape, causing physical injury to persons, female genital mutilation, causing fear to persons, false statements against persons, isolation and abandonment of spouses, children and dependents, spousal battery, and political violence, among others.”
According to Mrs Oyetola, “the law is a key issue that would make life safe, healthy and better for every family in our state. This is the issue of eliminating and preventing every form of violence in our society.
“You would recall that in 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to drastic decision of locking down our cities and towns, we suddenly witnessed an upsurge in the number of cases of rape and violence against women and girls. This upsurge was reported across states in Nigeria.
“Our dear state was not excluded as we had our share of the caseloads. Interestingly, just as women and girls suffered violence and abuse, information were also received that our boys and men also suffer psychological and sometimes physical violence, especially from intimate partners.
“The development led to meetings of the wives of the governors in our country and we took a resolution to tackle the challenge through active engagements of stakeholders.
“Here in Osun, we triggered our own advocacy and our campaigns. During the campaigns, we realized that there was a gap in the legal instruments available to tackle some of the gender-based violence that occur or could possibly occur. Yes, we had various laws that had been passed by the state House of Assembly such as the Criminal Code Cap 34, Volume 2 of 2002, the 2013 Protection Against Domestic Violence law and the Child Rights Law of the State of Osun 2007.
“Issues covered by this law include rape, causing physical injury to persons, female genital mutilation, causing fear to persons, false statements against persons, isolation and abandonment of spouses, children and dependents, spousal battery, and political violence among others. The law also provides comprehensive window of rights to victims of violence, this is a law that seeks to guarantee abundant life for our people”.
She, however, thanked the Osun State House of Assembly for the passage of the VAPP bill, saying, “You have contributed to making our society a better place to live in. I also thank Mr. Governor who signed the bill into law on October 11, 2021, a date that bears significance to the female gender, the day of the girl child.”
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
