The wife of Kebbi state Governor Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu has expressed concerns over lack of domestication of laws protecting girls and women from rapists across the country.
Dr Bagudu, stated this during an online emergency meeting with the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Paulen Tallen, and the wife of Ekiti State , Erelu Bisi Fayemi, and other women and girl child advocates in Nigeria.
The meeting, was in response to the growing spate of rape and gender-based violence in the country and the recent rape and murder of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa.
Bagudu who lamented the lack of domesticated laws to protect women and girls from these vices in some states, including Kebbi, called for more deliberate and concerted efforts towards curbing the menace especially with the prevailing public outcry.
According to a statements made available to newsmen in Birnin-Kebbi on Friday by Nancy Anyadoh Technical Assistant, through Special Adviser to Kebbi state Governor on Media, Mallam Yahyah Sarki, Bagudu’s wife was said , “We have the attention of relevant stakeholders, let us take advantage of the current momentum and get things done. It is time for action”, she said.
The statement also quoted Minister for women Affairs, who convened the meeting to have said that, the meeting was centred on assessing the current situation, sharing ideas, developing a roadmap for addressing further escalation, and pushing for the domestication of the violence against women Acts across 10 states yet to do so.
“It was an urgent call to assess the growing issues of domestic and gender-based violence and violence against women, girls and other vulnerable groups, and also to advocate for the passing of the gender and equal opportunity bill currently before the National Assembly.
The Hon. Minister, while thanking the First Ladies for their respective support to the Ministry of Women Affairs in achieving its mandate berated the slow nature of court processes in prosecuting culprits of rape and called for the establishment of special courts saddled with the responsibility of trying and convicting of rape and other GBV suspects.
