Quote:By Muritala Ayinla 



Lagos State government yesterday raised the alarm over the increasing cases of housewives who now batter their husbands. The Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, who said this while briefing journalists on the score card of his ministry in the last one year, said no fewer than 138 of such cases were reported to the agency in charge of domestic violence.

Kazeem also said that the state Mobile courts arraigned 8,380 offenders for flouting the Road Traffic Law which included parking on walkways and yellow lines, use of BRT corridor, commuters and conductors hanging on the tailboards of moving vehicles, driving against traffic, etc.

The commissioner said that a total number of 1,771 cases were reported during the period under review while violence against men had increased to 38. He said: “Ministry has noted an increase in report of domestic abuse against men.

To date, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) has received a total number of 138 cases in this regard. Overall, a total number of 1,771 cases were reported during the period under review.”

In the year under review, the commissioner added that the efficiency of the Mobile Court had been further acknowledged through collaboration with the police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) and others upon requests by these institutions.

He added: “In comparison with the previous year’s figure of 4,426 offenders who were arraigned before the court, 8,380 offenders were arraigned before the court in the year under review for offences under the Road Traffic Law which include parking on walkway and yellow lines, use of BRT corridor, commuters and conductors hanging on the tailboards of moving vehicles, driving against traffic etc.”

The Attorney General said government received and treated 11,451 cases through the Special Task Force Against Land Grabbers, DSVRT and the Special Offences (Mobile) Court in the last one year.

He said government also received 316 inquiries through the recently unveiled first stateowned DNA and Forensic Centre with 71 active cases currently ongoing bordering on homicide, rape, toxicology, child trafficking, serology, among others.

According to Kazeem, the Anti-Land Grabbers Task Force designed by the present administration to fight the menace of forceful take-over of properties, received 1,300 petitions out of which 855 were concluded and 530 currently at various stages of resolution.

He added: “In the period under review, over 35 arrests of suspected notorious land grabbers were effected while 26 criminal prosecution cases against suspected land grabbers are presently ongoing.”