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Oyo State has been identified as recording the highest cases of violence against women in the Southwest geo-political zone of Nigeria.
The Executive Director, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), Mr Biodun Oyeleye, disclosed this at a training for journalists in Southwest Nigeria which was held in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Wednesday.
The theme of the training is: “Reduction of Discrimination and Violence Against Women in Southwest, Nigeria.” It was organized with the support of the British High Commission in Nigeria.
Quoting from The Punch newspaper of Tuesday, January 8, 2014 and other reports, Oyeleye explained that several data and reports show that cases of violence, particularly rape, are highest in Oyo among Southwest states.
He called on the government and other stakeholders to rise up against the menace to put an end to it, relying on the recently passed Violence Against Persons Act.
In his keynote address, the Communication Manager and Political Advisor of the British High Commission, Mr Wale Adebajo, said the British government was deeply interested in the human rights and protection of the rights of women.
According to him, the interest of the British government informed the reason it partnered with the NISD on training journalists, police, judges and civil society groups on the issue of violence against persons.
In her opening remark, the Acting South West Regional Coordinator of the Department for International Development (DFID), Margaret Fagboyo, emphasized the need for Nigerians to take advantage of the Act by raising awareness and enforcement against perpetrators of violence against persons.
While dissecting the Act, Barrister Ikechukwu Okafor, stressed that the Act provides for prosecuting of anyone that merely makes an attempt to carry out violence against another person whether they succeed or not.
He added that the Act provides for victims of violence to also seek compensation for any act of violence carried against them.