The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Thursday, said a committee will soon be inaugurated to process speedy trial of cases involving rape and girl child molestation.
He noted with sadness that incidents of rape cases in the country have increased dramatically in the last few weeks, resulting in the brutal murder of some victims.
He said this development has sparked outrage in the country and beyond. Hence as a people-oriented government that listens to the yearnings and aspirations of its citizen, the Ministry of Justice has identified with call for national response against rape and sexual assault in the country.
And in fulfillment of the Ministry’s mandate and its determination to urgently address this heinous crime, the committee is inevitable, he said.
This is as he reaffirmed the state policy of opposing bail and rejecting plea bargain proposals from perpetrators of rape and child defilement.
He stressed that the committee will ensure that the federal government’s policy of ensuring that convicted sex offenders do not benefit from power of prerogative of mercy remains in force.
The minister, who made this known on Thursday in a statement he personally signed, said plans are afloat for the immediate inauguration of the inter-ministerial gender based violence management committee that will comprise of functional and skilled officers drawn from various ministries to tackle sexual offenders.
He said membership will be drawn from the Federal Ministry of Justice; Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development programme; Federal Ministry of Health; National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons snd National Human Rights Commission.
Membership will also be drawn from the Nigerian Legal Aid Council; Nigerian Police Force and Civil Society Organisations, among others.
He said the committee will proffer a synchronized approach to address all forms of violence against women and children in the country.
According to him, the committee will also be mandated to review all the existing laws with a view to proposing to the National Assembly necessary legislative changes to ensure that the offences of rape and child defilement are dealt with in consonance with international best practices.
“Providing a comprehensive and appropriate support services to ensure that victims and survivors of sexual offences are not subjected to further stigmatization and trauma by maintaining a Sexual Assault Referral Centre which will be domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters. The Centre will respond to immediate Gender Based Violence related issues and will continue to provide rapid and comprehensive response through prosecution of all forms of violence against women and children.
“Speedy processing of stalled and pending cases of rape and child defilement that got delayed due to closure of courts and government institutions during the COVID -19 lockdown period.
“Reaffirming state policy of opposing bail and rejecting plea bargain proposals from perpetrators of rape and child defilement, and to also ensure that the Federal Government’s policy of ensuring that convicted sex offenders do not benefit from power of prerogative of mercy remains in force.”
He said the Ministry of Justice will, in driving these processes, bring together the 36 State’s Attorneys General to consider effective collaborative support to stem the growing tide of rape and sexual assault.
“A meeting of the stakeholders including the States’ Attorneys General will be carried out through a scheduled virtual conference in due course,” he noted.
He expressed the optimism that “with the modest efforts of the Federal Ministry of Justice in supporting the federal government’s resolve in tackling these crimes against humanity, that we will achieve a better Nigeria devoid of gender based violence and sexual assault.”
He however empathised with the victims, survivors and family members of such violence.
