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‘Security officer attached to Fayemi’s wife being investigated for rape’

Ekiti State government yesterday said it had received a complaint of rape allegation levelled against a security officer deployed to the Government House and attached to the convoy of the wife of Governor Kayode Fayemi. The rape reportedly occurred on Monday in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The state Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Fapounda, said in a statement that the case was being investigated and promised to give necessary cooperation to unravel the truth of the matter to ensure justice.

He said: “The case is now being handled by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), FCT Command Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force. The state government will cooperate fully with the police investigation team to ensure the matter is investigated thoroughly. The victim is receiving extensive psycho-social and legal support to cope with the trauma, and seek justice, and her identity being protected.” Fapounda also disclosed that the state Ministry of Justice was presently prosecuting 121 rape cases in different courts.

He added: “This number is particularly disturbing considering this statistic only relates to victims or their relatives who are willing to support the ministry in the prosecution of these cases. Unwilling victims’ number is even more alarming. “Therefore, the ministry, in an attempt to combat the menace, has announced additional measures to curb sexual violence in the state, as follows: Hindering prosecution has now been proposed to be an offence in the Ekiti State Criminal Law Bill, 2021, that is now before the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Under this heading, it will be a criminal offence for any person to seek to hinder or unlawfully influence the office of the Attorney-General to discontinue certain criminal matters including rape, sexual assault and child defilement. The punishment prescribed is five years’ imprisonment on conviction.

Persons in the habit of writing letters of discontinuance in rape matters are specifically invited to take note. “Legal protection of gender-based violence whistleblowers. The Ministry of Justice has proposed an amendment to Gender Based Violence Prohibition Law 2020 (as amended). The amendment seeks to protect persons who report cases of rape, sexual assault, and child defilement.

By the provisions of the proposed amendment such persons will be included in the Whistleblowers’ Protection Programme of the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice. “Confiscation of private accommodation, hotel accommodation, and related places used for the rape of a minor. The Ministry of Justice has previously issued several warnings to hotel owners and other places of leisure that they risk confiscation of their facilities if such places are used for the rape of minors. Similarly, private residences that are found to have been used for the rape of minors will also be subject to possible confiscation by the government of Ekiti State.

The Ministry of Justice is currently working on a legislative proposal that will allow the government to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of such properties with a view to converting them to rehabilitation centres for ex-convicts.”

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