Oyo State House of Assembly has warned criminals in the state that it will no longer be business as usual.
The Speaker of the House, Debo Ogundoyin, gave the warning when speaking at an annual stakeholder’s conference organised by the Justice Development and Peace Commission, JDPC.
He said the legislative house was working on some laws that would protect victims and enhance prosecution of offenders in the state.
Represented by Olawunmi Oladeji, the lawmaker representing Ogbomoso South State Constituency, he said murder cases would no longer be a bailable offence in the state as violence against persons prohibition law was on the way.
Oladeji disclosed that the 8th and 9th assemblies where she served as the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, passed the Child Law, 2006 and Violence Against Women Law, 2016, and that when the proposed law against criminals was passed rapists would get death penalty or life imprisonment at the discretion of the court.
Also speaking, the organiser, Mr Ayorinde Olanipekun , who represented JDPC Director, Rev. Father Ezekiel Owoeye, said the effects of COVID-19 on child labour and other child rights violations must be critically looked into and solutions must be brought forward for a better society.
He also lauded all stakeholders from various government ministries, CSOs and the media, for calling for implementation of laws that would protect women and children from criminals.
One of the speakers at the event, the former Zonal Director of NAPTIP, Mr.Joseph Famakin, called on parents to protect their children against all forms of abuse, stating that 16 states were yet to pass the Child’s Right Law due to religious and cultural reasons in Nigeria.
He added that it was believed that the Presidency would make efforts to ensure that every state in the country would domesticate the Child’s Right Law, to protect children and most importantly the girl child.
