Lagos State Government Wednesday vowed to monitor and verify the state of mind of Mr. Kolade Arowolo, who allegedly murdered his Lagos-based wife, Mrs. Titilayo Arowolo, a staff of Skye Bank Plc, in order to forestall any form of manipulation and to ensure that justice is done in the matter.
State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefilure, who also supervises the Ministry for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) made the position when the Gender Based Violence Response Network (GBVN) called at her office on a protest visit over the gruesome murder.
Orelope-Adefilure thus asked law enforcement agents investigating the alleged murder of the banker, to conduct a thorough investigation, saying justice “must not only be heard, but be done”. The Deputy Governor stated that the state government would set up a committee to follow up the case to the last, saying the spate of domestic violence must be nipped in the bud.
She vowed that state government “will monitor the case till the end and verify the psychiatric test on Arowolo, to block any form of manipulation and ensure that justice is meted out to the killer”, reminding that the 1999 constitution provides for equal rights for women and men .
Orelope-Adefilure added : “It is a barbaric act. I felt so disturbed when I heard the news. What will happen to the three-year old child who witnessed the murder, she may be subjected to psychological trauma if not managed. Is that fair?”
She lamented that thousands of Nigerian women are suffering in silence, adding that they did not complain of battering by their spouses, believing the marriage should not break.
“I can’t just understand the scenario that led to Titilayo’s death. I don’t accept that it was due to frustration or poverty. The case must be thoroughly investigated. Law enforcement agents should not hide under psychiatric complaints to muddle the case, ” she added.
According to the deputy governor, “we will leave the investigation to the police but I assure you that the state government will conduct its investigation to ensure that justice prevails.”
She urged other state governments in the federation to emulate Lagos State by ensuring the speedy passage of the law against domestic violence, noting that it is only when there is an enabling law that the campaign against the crime can be properly addressed.
She revealed that the government has established toll-free lines for victims of domestic violence in the State, urging the citizens to take advantage of medium to report incidence of violence happening around their homes.
Earlier, the leader of the civil rights group, Mrs. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma said women in Lagos are still in shock hearing how Titilayo was hacked to death last week by her husband.
She urged the state government to intensify efforts on implementation of the State’s Child Right Law and the Domestic Violence Law, to ensure violence against women and children in the larger society is reduced to minimum and to sensitize family institution, communities, religious bodies and Law Enforcement Agents towards implementation of the laws.
Also speaking, Producer of Television Series, Inside Out, Agatha Amata, while acknowledging previous roles of the government in similar circumstance urged the State Government to re-orientate the general public on the need to put an end to violence against women.
Culled from http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/banker-s-murder-govt-ll-verify-psychiatric-test/94597/
