First lady of Ogun State Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, has lamented the increase in domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence in the state.
The governor’s wife showed her concern at the inauguration of the Nigeria Police Family Support Unit’s facility at the Sango-Ota Area Command.
Mrs Abiodun, who is the chairperson of the Management Committee of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, said, “When perpetrators of crime know that they will face the consequences of their actions, they will think twice before engaging in those kinds of act.”
She described the police Family Support Unit as a safe haven where people, no matter how young or old, could come forward and speak up without fear of intimidation or stigmatisation.
The Area Commander, Sango Ota Area Command, ACP Monday Agbonika, in his welcome address at the official opening ceremony of the Nigeria Police FSU Ota said that one of the initiatives of the FSU unit was to be an upgrade of the traditional Nigeria Police Juvenile Welfare Centre.
He noted that in addition to the normal JWC cases of juvenile offences of missing/found children, sexual offences against minors, the FSU unit also handle all GBV(Gender Based Violence) and DV (Domestic Violence) cases.
ACP Monday, pointed out that when he reported as the Area Commander, last year he realized that there was a high incidence of GBV/DV cases in the community and that the cases were not being reported for fear of stigmatization and other similar considerations.
He commended the effort of Mrs Abiodun for her role in supporting the cause and providing logistic support and training of officers manning the unit.
The wife of the Commissioner of Police and chairperson of Police Officers’ Wives Association, Mrs Habiba Ajogun, described the initiative as first of its kind in the history of the command
She expressed satisfaction with the facilities and said, “if we will win the fight against gender based violence and domestic violence cases, individual have a role to play”.
The Secretary/Operation Manager Lagos, Advocate For Children and Valueable Persons Network, Mr Ebenezer Omejalile, said the Advocate is here to show solidarity with our own person, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Monday Agbonika.
Omejalile noted that ACP Monday started the Family Support Unit (FSU) since when he was serving in Lagos state before he was transferred to Ogun state, and that it is first of its kind.
He said that he has since extended the unit to Sango-Ota command where he is serving presently.
Family Support Unit, is a unit that supports and protects vulnerable persons, adults and children, who are victims of gender based violence, sexual crimes and other abuses, including human trafficking.
“In the Unit we have trained officers who handle such cases ,but the relationship that exists between the Advocate and the FSU is that referrals of Child Abuse Cases, Domestic Violence cases, Physical Assualt/Abuse, Defilement, Rape cases and Child/Family Neglect are attended to,he said.
Also the ACVPN FSU includes case management, arrest of perpetrators of the above mentioned abuses and ensuring they are duly and appropriately prosecuted.
The ACVPN assist the FSU in financing cases and work stations where necessary, and the cooperation also involves program exchanges