Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Adeniji Kazeem has said report of violence against men in the State is on the rise. The AG made this revelation while presenting the activities of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice at the Ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing Held Yesterday, Thursday, 19th April, 2018 at The Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa
In his speech the AG noted that as part of activities marking the third year anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring the logical conclusion of all pending cases in court and serve justice to the people.
He revealed that Lagos Ministry of Justice received and treated a total number of 11,451 cases through the Special Task Force against Land Grabbers, Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) and the Special Offences (Mobile) Court in the last one year.
On domestic violence, the AG stated, “The Ministry of Justice has noted an increase in report of domestic abuse against men.”
“To date, the DSVRT has received a total number of 131 cases in this regard.”
“Overall, a total number of 1771 cases were reported during the period under review. The team also provided free medical services and psycho-social therapy for over 700 survivors of domestic/sexual violence, conducted capacity building training with 220 police officers across the State, and successfully secured the conviction of seven perpetrators.”
On the performance of the DNA and Forensic Centre he noted, “Lagos state government also received 316 inquiries through the recently unveiled first state-owned DNA and Forensic Centre with 71 active cases currently ongoing bordering on homicide, rape, toxicology, child trafficking, serology, among others.”
On Evans case; The AG stated “the cases filed against kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans, who is being prosecuted by the State Government in court alongside others for masterminding and executing series of high profile kidnappings and murder in the State, are ongoing in court.”
“The issue is that the lawyer representing him is trying to play some games to delay the matter but in all his games, we have been defeating him in court; We have filed different cases against him bordered on kidnapping, murder and his lawyer is fighting all the cases but I can assure the people that we are committed to ensure the matter is concluded and defeat him at the end of the day.”
Speaking further, the AG reporting on the activities of the Citizens’ Mediation Center; “The directorate of Citizens’ Mediation Centre ‘CMC’ received a total number of 47,292 new cases free of charge out of which 25,191 were resolved with others at various stages of resolution.”
“Among other achievements by the State Government in the justice sector during the period under review from May 2017 to April 2018, N1,352,745,391 was resolved as settlement between parties of debt related matters through free legal service.”
“Lagos State introduced the Real Estate Electronic Litigation Database designed for the provision of access to information primarily on properties which are subject of litigation; since its launch, the portal has recorded over 1,000,000 hits and over 10,000 consistent users from Nigeria, United States, United Kingdom, South Africa and others.”
“I carefully clarified The Hotel and Restaurant Consumption (Fiscalization) Regulations 2018, it is a regulation and not a new law. It was made pursuant to an existing law that was already in operation. What this regulation essentially seeks to do is to allow the government to put certain equipment in the restaurant and hospitality organizations to properly monitor the revenue that is coming so we can know what exactly is due to the State Government; It is not an additional tax, it is just to enhance transparency in collection of taxes that are due to the State.”
On other high profile cases, the AG noted that it was gratifying to report that the cases were progressing in court. “The Synagogue Church case for instance on the collapsed building which killed people was progressing well; a no case submission filed by the accused persons instead of defending the case was recently dismissed by the Court; while the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King who is presently on death row imposed by the court would have his fate determined in due course.”
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