Seven persons jailed for rape in Akwa Ibom

Seven persons have been jailed for rape in Akwa Ibom while 30 rape cases are ongoing in various courts in the state, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Glory Edet has said.

Edet, who disclosed this on Monday to our correspondent in Uyo, said the feat was achieved by government between 2017 and this year.

According to her, the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration was committed to the full implementation of the Child Rights Law as well as the protection of vulnerable persons from abuse.

She appealed to states in the country that have not domesticated and implemented the Child Rights Law to do so without further delay.

The commissioner said rape cases and similar crimes would be curtailed if states with domesticate and fully implement the Child Rights Law.

“When I called for the domestication of the Child Rights Law, I don’t mean only domestication but emphasis on implementation. It is one thing to domesticate it, but another thing to implement it. I want to thank our governor, Udom Emmanuel for implementing the law in the state because anything that has to do with child abuse, falls under the Child Rights Law.

“So far between last year and now, seven persons have been convicted and jailed while we have 30 cases in courts. I want to thank the judiciary who has been sending their lawyers to assist us in court, court assessors, the women lawyers and other NGOs for their supports in the course of trying these cases.

“We have created a lot of awareness in schools, churches and other public places on the punishment associated with rape, child trafficking and other child abuses. We do not publicize rape cases so that the victim should not be stigmatized; in the Child Rights Law, you have to protect the child from trauma and psychological stress”,
she said.

According to the University lecturer turned politician, the awareness efforts of the ministry has helped a lot in recent times as the reported cases especially on rape has reduced drastically, adding that, the fear of victim being sent to jail has also helped in this direction.

On benefits from her ministry to Akwa Ibom women, she explained that, in the current local government administration, 56 women are serving as councilors and more than 57 are also serving as supervisory councilors across the 31 local government councils in the state, adding that, most permanent secretaries, Head of service, board members, commissioner, House Members are women.

“Governor Udom Emmanuel government is the first to send widows to pilgrimage in Israel, five widows each were taken from the 31 local government councils and sent for pilgrimage; again, 155 women, five each from the 31 council areas are given N200,000 grants for trading in their businesses”.