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Gender-based Violence: Edo First Lady Talks Tough, Warns Perpetrators

Published

3 years ago

June 15, 2022

The wife of Edo State governor, Mrs. Besty Obaseki, has warned those involved in gender-based violence to desist from such act, threatening that anyone caught perpetrating such act would be punished in line with the law, no matter how highly placed such individual may be.

The Edo First Lady gave the warning in Benin on Tuesday at an event held to mark the end of a project for Nigerian Academy of Science-Gender Based Project with the theme: ‘Strengthening the Evidence and Response Pathway for Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Key States in Nigeria.’

The programme was supported by West Africa office of Ford Foundation and Coordinated by Nigerian Academy of Science.

Mrs. Obaseki who said no perpetrator of gender-based violence would go without facing the full weight of the law, urged those suffering from such act to speak out, adding that though some who suffer such act have been keeping mute due to fear of the unknown, activities of the GBV committee have really helped many to come to speak up.

“Some of the victims are afraid to come out and speak up because some of the perpetrators of this crime are persons in high places, so they do not know what will happen to them if they speak up.
But with our works, people are coming out to speak up, we now have many cases being reported

“We’ve increased prosecution and conviction of perpetrators of GBV; we now have sexual assaultry centre of which is here in Benin City.

“Let me say this, no matter who you are, if you are found attempting to cover up such crime case, you and the perpetrator will be prosecuted. Nobody is above the law, “ she declared.

Going down memory lane on how the GBV committee was set up in the state, the Edo First Lady said the death of a lady named Vera Uwaila Omozuwa prompted her to engage in an extensive campaign, which according to her, got attention of other First Ladies who also follow suit.

While lamenting that years after the University of Benin student (Omozuwa) was murdered, the killers have not been brought to book, Mrs. Obaseki said, though painful, Omozuwa’s death has brought about many positive changes as regards gender-based violence.

“I very sadly recall how this journey started. This whole work( GBV) started here in Edo State with the death of our beloved daughter, the young Vera Uwaila Omozuwa.

“Her death, by God’s intervention has brought the prevention of many deaths that would have happened daily if the fight against GBV did not come to life. She’s like a seed that died, buried and sprout again to bring about life. Uwaila’s death has brought about life to many young boys and girls; many women and men.

” It was upon her death, I carried a national campaign which got the attention of many other first ladies and attention of other people in government, and it gave birth to what we now call Nigerian governor’s wife against gender based violence.”

Related Topics:Edo first lady Mrs. Obaseki

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JUST IN: Court Orders IGP To Arrest Mahmood Yakubu, Ex-INEC Chairman

Published

2 hours ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

Despite his exit as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has again ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest the former INEC chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, for an offence relating to contempt of court.

The Court order came a few hours after Yakubu left office as the INEC chairman.

The Action Alliance, AA, had instituted a case before the court challenging INEC and its former chairman, Prof Yakubu, over their non-compliance with the judgment of the Court delivered by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi in suit number FHC/OS/CS/194/2024.

In the said judgment, the court ordered INEC to put the names of the National Chairman of the Action Alliance, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, and other members of the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, on the INEC portal.

The Court also held that the names of all the state chairmen of the party be uploaded on the INEC portal.

The court held that the elective convention of the party held on the 7th of October, 2023 which produced Omoaje as the national chairman of the party and other NEC members of the party was authentic as it was properly monitored and supervised by officials of INEC in accordance with the party’s constitution and the electoral acts.

However, INEC claimed to have complied with the court judgment, but the party disagreed with the commission, as the name of Omoaje was yet to be uploaded on the commission’s website despite the orders of the Court.

Although the names of the state chairmen of the party under the leadership of Omoaje and those of the NEC members are already on the INEC portal, Omoaje’s name is yet to be uploaded as of press time, a development that the court frowned at.

The court order obtained by our correspondent dated 7th October, 2025, and signed by Mr O.M. Kilani on behalf of the Court Registrar reads in part, “it is hereby ordered that the Inspector General of Police shall cause the arrest and shall charge the defendant/judgment debtors for contempt and committal proceedings within seven days of this ruling.”

The court also awarded a cost of #100,000 against the judgment creditors.

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Lagos Closes Adeniji Adele–CMS Lane For Six Weeks Of Repairs

Published

4 hours ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has announced a partial closure of the Adeniji Adele Interchange Junction to CMS for six weeks to allow for rehabilitation works by the Federal Government.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the repair works will run daily between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., starting Sunday, October 12, and ending Sunday, November 23, 2025.

Osiyemi explained that only one lane of the road will be closed during the period, while the remaining lanes will remain open to traffic to minimize disruptions.

He assured motorists that traffic management officers will be stationed along the corridor to ensure smooth vehicular movement and reduce inconvenience during the rehabilitation.

“Motorists are implored to be patient, as the lane diversion is part of the traffic management plan for the rehabilitation of the road by the Federal Ministry of Works,” the commissioner said.

He also urged drivers to comply with the directives of traffic officials on duty to ensure safety and efficient traffic flow throughout the repair period.

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JUST IN: Tinted Permit Enforcement Placed On Hold Due To Court Order – Police

Published

4 hours ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Police Force said on Wednesday that the enforcement of the vehicle tinted glass permit has been suspended following a court order halting the exercise.

Spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this during an interview on Africa Independent Television, AIT.

She said the decision to halt the enforcement came after the police officially received the court order.

Adeh said, “Information reaching me from the office of the PRO is that the order has been received and the enforcement of the tinted permit is now on hold pending the court’s verdict”.

Disclosing that the directive to suspend enforcement would remain in place pending the outcome of the ongoing legal process, Adeh said, “We are waiting for the verdict. We are not against the courts, and we will continue to wait until we get a verdict”.

Speaking on public concerns about the purpose of the tinted glass regulation, Adeh explained that it was introduced for security reasons, noting that some criminal activities had been carried out using vehicles with darkened windows.

“The law was not made by us. We are enforcers. The policy was purely security-driven. Some criminals were using tinted vehicles to commit offences, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify suspects,” she said.

She dismissed claims that the policy was designed for financial gain, noting that all payments related to tinted permits are made directly into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA), not to the police.