7th July, 2018
The Lagos State Government, through the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) has urged Lagosians to desist from the habit of pleading for offenders after committing an offence so as to allow the law to take its full course.
The Director, OPD, Olayinka Adeyemi noted that it had become a culture in the society to plead on behalf of perpetrator of crime,thus, slowing down the pace of justice system in the society.
Adeyemi, who spoke at the sensitization campaign and legal clinic held at the palace of the Onigando of Igando, Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi said that there is no ignorance of law, adding that anybody who went against the law should be punished accordingly and be left to face the full weight of the law.
While expressing concern over the increase in sexual offences, especially rape and defilement of children from the ages of 0-17, she affirmed that the government had zero tolerance for domestic violence and that anybody found culpable would be brought to book.
According to her, “We have noticed that when this offences are committed, particularly when it involves children, landlords, community leaders, religious leaders, family members and respectable people in the society come to beg on their behalf. They even go to the extent of pressurising the parents of the children involved not to follow up the case.
“They should stop begging for the perpetrators. It is shameful to see that they come forward pleading for them, they should support the state government in ensuring that those who commit evil act do not go free without being punished so that we can have a peaceful society where one can sleep with two eyes closed. We must not encourage negative acts in our society.
“If nothing is done to the perpetrator of the offence, they would go back to commit more grievous offence but if the offender is allow to face the punishment, it will serve as a deterrent to others who might want to commit such offence.”
Adeyemi further said that rape is a form of domestic violence just like defilement, stressing that the punishment for rape and defilement was life imprisonment under the Criminal Law of Lagos.
In her words, “for efficient and effective judicial service delivery to the people of the State, all hands must be on deck, we all must be ready to speak out when offence is committed, especially the women who are the most victims of this offence and who might be afraid because of stigmatisation,”
However, she advised that victims must ensure that their case was prosecuted, got justice and should not be side tracked by any pleading or begging from others.