LASG TO CRIMINALISE SEXUAL OFFENCES CONCEALMENT BY TEACHERS


The Lagos State Government has expressed its readiness to start criminalising the concealment of sexual offences by teachers and guardians in the State

The Executive Secretary of Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs. Titilola Vivour-disclosed this in her opening address at a two-day training organised for 105 school counsellors on safeguarding and child protection held recently at the LCCI Conference Centre in Ikeja

While noting that the 105 School Guidance Counsellors were drawn from primary and secondary schools within Ikeja, Mushin and Oshodi/Isolo zones in Lagos, she stated that schools do not just serve as centres of academic learning but should also be safe havens, where children feel secure, safe and protected.

She noted that the influence of counsellors extends far beyond the classroom as it shapes the emotional and psychological landscape of the next generation.

The Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary (TG/PS), Education District VI, Dr. Adejoke Sherifaah Yusuf, who was represented by the Head of the Counselling Unit, Mrs. Anike Bola-Lawal, charged participants that the constant training and retraining of the Guidance Counsellors helped keep them abreast of societal expectations to make a better society for all.

He stressed that the training would be rewarding as it cuts across the three zones of the district and lauded the Agency’s efforts in the quest for an SGBV-free society

A representative from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Ibrahim Jenmi, while speaking on behalf of the Chairman, thanked the Agency for the continuous training of guidance counsellors and called for collaboration between the Agency and the Board.

One of the facilitators at the training. Taiwo Akinlami, a Safeguarding and Child Protection expert spoke on child rights and concepts which include their rights to life, developmental rights, participation rights and protection rights. He further spoke about the societal and cultural perception of child abuse and examined the different forms of child abuse and how to detect signs of abuse.

Mr. Jubril Yakubu of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development gave an overview of the Lagos State Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection, highlighting the roles of a designated safeguarding officer and the multi-agency response to safeguarding and child protection. He informed the participants about the mandated reporting policy in Lagos State, urging them to say something whenever they see something.

Chief of Operations at Cece Yara, Mrs. Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, who spoke on responding to disclosures

of child abuse, educated the counsellors on how to handle disclosures made by children.

The Counsellors were later presented with a Certificate of Participation and were encouraged to see themselves as mandated reporters, if they see something, they should say something and most importantly, do something.

BWGISTdotCOM:
Kudos to Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola who is the first Nigerian governor to open a sex offenders register. He signed an executive order to provide for compulsory reporting of actual or suspected child abuse and establishment of a sex offenders’ register at the State House, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, yesterday Dec. 1st.
He also identified Alimosho, Kosofe, Agege and Oshodi-Isolo Local Govt as the councils with the highest cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence crimes in the state...

Below is what Fashola said

“I will like to tell those perpetrating the act in these local governments (Alimosho, Kosofe, Agege and Oshodi-Isolo) to desist now because we would be coming after them. We will combat these crimes so that they do not become big crimes in the state. Also, in order to ensure that criminals are monitored, we have created a crime data register which states everyone who has engaged the criminal justice system of the state, and we have close to a 100, 000 offenders on that register. And very soon, we would start deploying people to the data rooms in the police stations across the state to gather the bio data of offenders including their photographs and others.

“This was why we have asked everyone to register so that before you employ anyone, you will know his track record. And this is the time for everyone especially women to speak against it. This is the time for us to have a local enforcement unit; either we call it state police or whatever name we wish to call it, to protect the women from frequent abuse from the opposite gender. This is the time for women to rise up and challenge employers who sets unimaginable targets for their female employees. These were targets they could not set for men,” he said

The Lagos State Attorney-General Mr Ade Ipaye added that

“We monitoring one hundred and thirteen 113 sexual violence cases currently at the High Court. The Team is working actively to ensure prompt prosecution of these cases. The major aim of the Sex Offenders Monitoring Programme and the Mandated Reporter policy is to reduce repeat cases by providing names and personal details of convicted sex offenders in the State to a central database. The Database will be accessible to individuals and organizations that need information. For example, School proprietors who want to recruit can access this Register as a form of background check.

“The Mandated Reporter policy will make it compulsory for all State School Administrators, Counsellors, Teachers, Social Welfare Officers and any other official of the State Government having any dealings with children to report any suspected or actual child abuse or neglect to the Attorney-General’s office. It is envisaged that the Lagos State Sex Offenders Register will be open and maintained by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice in partnership with the Lagos State Judiciary, the Nigerian Prisons and the Nigerian Police”. He said...

http://www.bwgist.com/2014/12/governor-fashola-opens-register-for-sex.html

Addme:


Justice Abiola Sholadoye of the Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Vilence Court on Monday arraigned and sentenced a 32-year-old street sweeper, Damilola Omojolowo, to life imprisonment for defiling a 14-year-old girl.

Omojolowo was convicted on one count of defilement of the girl, whom he claimed was his girlfriend.

The offence committed contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

According to the prosecution, the convict defiled the victim by having unlawful sexual intercourse with her.


The convict was arraigned and he pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him.

According to the prosecution counsel, A.R. Abolade, the convict committed the offence between June 2022 and July 2022 at No. 3 Church Street, Ajegunle, Ikorodu Road, Lagos.

The prosecutor also stated that the incident came to light on August 6, 2022, after the convict gave the victim a white tablet to ingest which made her start bleeding after which she was taken to the hospital.

The convict admitted to having unlawful intercourse with the victim, stating that she was his girlfriend.


Justice Soladoye sentenced Imoh after the prosecutor read the facts of the case.

“It is right that a minor cannot consent to any sexual activity. Even if she did, it is of no use.

“He denied giving any tablet to the victim to ingest. It is important to stress that the only charge to this case is that of defilement of the child; so, the issue of the swallowing of the tablet by the child is of no importance.

“Since the offence of defilement is a strict liability offence with a mandatory sentence, the defendant, Damilola Omojolowo, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for defilement, contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

“The defendant, Damilola Omojolowo, male, is to have his name registered in the sex offenders registry as maintained by Lagos State Government.”

https://punchng.com/street-sweeper-bags-life-jail-for-defiling-teenage-girl/?amp

LAGOS DSVA HOLDS 2-DAY TRAINING FOR SCHOOL COUNSELLORS ON SAFEGUARDING & CHILD PROTECTION

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency organized a two-day training for 105 school counsellors on safeguarding and child protection on the 5th and 6th of March 2024 at the LCCI conference center at Ikeja to ensure capacity building of all relevant stakeholders in the fight to end SGBV.

The Executive Secretary DSVA, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said at the opening that 105 school Guidance Counsellors were drawn from primary and secondary schools within Ikeja, Mushin and Oshodi/Isolo zones of Lagos State.

Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi stated that schools  do not just serve as centers of academic learning but should also be safe havens, where children feel secure, safe and protected.

She noted that the influence of counselors extends far beyond the classroom as it shapes the emotional and psychological landscape of the next generation.

 She urged the counselors to remain steadfast in their commitment in safeguarding the dignity and rights of every child.

The TG/PS of Education District VI, Dr. Yusuf Adejoke Sherifaah who was represented by the Head of the Counselling Unit, Mrs. Anike Bola-Lawal while giving her goodwill message told the participants that the constant training and retraining of the Guidance Counsellors was helpful in keeping them abreast of societal expectations to make a better society for all. 

She stressed that the training would be rewarding as it cuts across the three zones of the district and lauded the Agency's efforts in the quest for an SGBV free society

Representative from the State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Ibrahim Jenmi while speaking on behalf of the SUBEB Chairman, thanked the Agency for the continuous training of guidance counsellors and hoped for the continued collaboration of the Agency and SUBEB.

 At the training, Mr. Taiwo Akinlami, a Safeguarding and Child Protection expert spoke on child rights and concepts which includes their rights to life, developmental rights, participation rights and protection rights. He further spoke about the societal and cultural perception of child abuse and examined the different forms of child abuse and how to detect signs of abuse.

Mr. Jubril Yakubu of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development gave an overview of the Lagos State Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection, highlighting the roles of a designated safeguarding officer and the multi-agency response to safeguarding and child protection. He ended his session by informing the participants about the mandated reporting policy in Lagos State, urging them to say something whenever they see something.

Chief of Operations at Cece Yara; Mrs. Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode who spoke on responding to disclosures of child abuse; reasons disclosure of abuse is delayed and how children disclose abuse. She ended her session by educating the counsellors on how to handle disclosures made by children. 

On Day 2 of the training, the Executive Secretary, DSVA; Mrs. Titilola Vivour- Adeniyi facilitated a session on the Legal Framework for child abuse in Lagos State citing the different laws; including the Child Rights Law of Lagos State, 2007, The Domestic and Sexual PA Violence Agency Law, Protection Against Domestic Violence, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021 and the Criminal Law of Lagos State alongside the punishment provided for the offences. 

In a session facilitated by the HOD Case Management, DSVA; Mrs. Tumininu Oni, the Counsellors were engaged in different case scenarios on child abuse, safeguarding, child protection and reporting protocols. 

The Counsellors were presented with their certificate of participation and they were encouraged to see themselves as mandated reporters, if they see something, they should say something and most importantly, do something.

Adejoke Ladenegan-Oginni
LAGOS DSVA
7/3/2024