By O.V Collins
The Executive Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has on Tuesday complained about and condemned the delay in the investigation and prosecution of the criminals behind the rape and cold-blooded murder of late Miss Uwaila Omozuwa, a then 100-level student of the University of Benin in the Department of Microbiology.
Uwaila Omozuwa of blessed memory, was raped and murdered in May 2020 inside a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, in Benin City, Edo State.
Governor Obaseki decried the delay while declaring open the ‘End of Project Workshop’ for the National Academy for Science, themed “Strengthening the Evidence and Response Pathways for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in key states in Nigeria,” noting that unnecessarily delayed justice for victims was crippling the struggle against gender-based violence in the state.
Obaseki said, “Two years after Uwaila Omozuwa was brutally murdered in Benin City, we have still not been able to prosecute the perpetrators of this dastardly act. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) insisted that this case should be moved to headquarters.
“As we speak, the investigation is stalling. This is really, really sad and we will not be able to make progress in our fight against gender-based violence if we can’t get reports from the very highest authorities in Nigeria.”
“With the interest that President Muhammadu Buhari has shown in the fight against GBV crimes in Nigeria, it is quite disappointing that the police has not been able to make use of this very sad incident which shocked the whole world as an example to show that they have the capacity to deal with this set of violent crimes in our society,” he decried.
The Governor urged, “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to please use his good office to ensure that his men do what they are constitutionally expected to do and ensure that they conclude investigations and prosecute the perpetrators of this painful offense.
“If this is not done, all our efforts, all the work we have put in, till date, will come to nothing, because people will say that at the end of the day, nothing will come out of it.”
Reiterating that his government remains committed to ending all forms of sexual and gender-based violence in the state, Obaseki stated, “Edo State has made adequate budgetary commitments that will sustain the fight against GBV such that perpetrators will be adequately punished and survivors will get adequate care. We are putting in place the institutional arrangements, including the infrastructure to deal with GBV.”
“Construction of GBV building is in full gear, at the Senator Daisy Danjuma Centre, and I am very confident that before the end of this year that building will be completed with all the required amenities.
“Discussions are on with international partners to see how we can get support to manage these infrastructures and institutions that we have put in place under a sustainable basis.” He added.
The First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, who also is the Chairperson of the Edo State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, earlier stated that the state intends to set up Gender-Based Violence (GBV) centres in proposed Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the 192 wards of the state.
Mrs. Obaseki also noted that Edo state has set up GBV clubs in secondary schools scattered in different parts of the state to promote awareness in rural areas and to aid the apprehension and prosecution of culprits.
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