Lagos State Government Sets Up Special Sexual Offences Court

Lagos State Government Sets Up Special Sexual Offences Court

The Lagos State Government has set up a special court for dealing with sexual offenses to aid in avoiding delay in the prosecution of suspects of sexual crimes.

The Chief Justice of the state, Justice Olufunmilayo Opeyemi-Oke, disclosed this yesterday during a courtesy visit to her by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Imohimi Edgal. The Chief Justice went on to lament the increase in sexual related crimes in Lagos, adding that she wondered why some suspects of sexual crimes were granted bail when the sentence of such crimes had increased to life imprisonment. 

“You (CP) are going to get a letter from us today (yesterday) on this administration‘s decision to set up special sexual court because the issue of rape has escalated in Lagos. I picked a copy of the newspaper and read that a father and his brother have been violating his daughter for long” She said. ”The sentence for this type of offence has been increased to life imprisonment and no magistrate should grant such suspect bail. That is why we are setting up special sexual offences courts.”

She however declined the request by the Police Commissioner to establish special courts for cases such as murder and robberies, saying that it was difficult to have special courts for every type of criminal cases.