State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye on Monday said Lagos State Government recorded no fewer than 12,120 rape cases and other s3xual violence matters in the last four years. He added that the government in the last one year also convicted about 140 s3x offenders.
Ipaye explained that one of those convicted was a notorious rapist that bagged life imprisonment.
He said the government established the domestic and s3xual violence response team to improve the safety of vulnerable persons and ensure offender are prosecuted.
Ipaye said the team facilitated the signing of the Executive Order that established the s3x Offenders' Register.
Ipaye informed that the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in the last one-year recorded 526 rape cases, with 227 still pending in court., while adding that at least 15 judgment were made, ranging from life to seven years imprisonment.
Ipaye further stressed that OPD in the last four years also recorded about 12,120 rape cases.
He added that the OPD, the agency saddled with responsibility of providing legal aid services to indigent citizens, had handled over 15,000 matters on behalf of indigent Lagosians at no cost.
“These matters cut across labour cases, civil matters, criminal cases, coroner’s inquests and fundamental rights cases. This brings the number of matters that OPD has been involved in the past four years to 30,998.
“OPD also facilitated the collection of over N42m as compensation on behalf of complaits in the last one year. All together in the past four years, OPD has assisted Lagosians to collect N152m as compensation.
“During the period under review, OPD secured 49 judgments in favour of its clients. These judgments include those who were discharged and acquitted by the Court after spending several years in prison, following applications by OPD. Of note is the case of one Nnami Igbele, a 42-year-old man who had spent 8 years in custody before being discharged. In another landmark case, six men who were arrested and charged for the offence of manslaughter in 2006 were provided free legal service by OPD and were eventually discharged and acquitted at the conclusion of their trial,” he stated.
The commissioner added that 3,083 offenders were sentenced to various terms of community service across the 12 Magisterial Districts of Lagos State between January 2014 and February 2015.
“With regard to criminal prosecutions, out of the 795 police investigation files sent to the Department of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) office for legal advice, the Unit has already completed work on 716 (90.1 per cent) while the rest are still being processed, many requiring additional information or further investigation by the Police or other relevant agency.
“The Directorate of Public Prosecutions is engaged in the prosecution of 1,069 criminal cases in all courts. This figure includes the 786 cases which are currently being prosecuted at the Federal and the State High Courts as well as 54 and 11respectively at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The number is also inclusive of the 218 cases at the Magistrate Courts. In addition to the 1,069 active criminal prosecution files, DPP’s office is also handling 160 applications for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.”.