President of Association of Women Orientation for Sustainable Development in Nigeria (AWON), Chief Grace Oluwatoye, weekend asked Oyo state government to enforce death penalty as punishment for perpetrators of sexual violence against women and girls in the state.
Speaking at a press conference in Ibadan by Coalition of Women Networks and NGOs in Oyo state held at Life Builder, Agodi Ibadan, Chief Mrs Oluwatoye said sexual violence against women and girls is now on the increase in Oyo state.
Chief Oluwatoye at the press conference attended by leaders of the over 14 coalitions of networks pointed out that the time has come for Oyo state government to come up with decisive action towards ending cases of sexual violence against girls and women.
“We call on the government to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that victims are able to seek legal redress and get justice. We call for death penalty as the punishment for perpetrators of this terrible act,” she said.
Chief Oluwatoye added, “AWON and all other participating networks have watched in horror the latest surge in the cases of sexual abuse in the country and in Oyo state in particular .Barakat Bello, 18 of IAR&T, Ibadan, Vera Omozuwa, 22 student of University of Benin. We have therefore come together as concerned women in the state to call on the state government to take decisive action on the cases of rape in the state.
“Domestic violence has sharply increased since the COVID-19 outbreak. Violence, particularly intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence against girls and women increases risk of physical and mental health problems, including HIV acquisition and other infections. Our daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers must be free to exercise their human rights without fear and this is what we are pleading with government of Oyo state to ensure that prompt action is taken to stop the incidence of sexual abuse in the state.”
