SAN advocates stringent punishment for child defilement

Legal luminary, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN), has advocated a
proactive and stringent punishment enforcement to curb the rising
cases of sexual abuse of minors in Nigeria.

Apart from the punishment provided in the statute books
for convicted offenders, Ali also advised that convicts should be
made to undergo compulsory psychiatric rehabilitation saying:
“anyone will full sanity will not likely defile a child moreover
his own child.”

He spoke at the Annual Law Week of the Ekiti State Chapter
of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) held over
the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital which has as its theme
“The Roles of Stakeholders in the 21st Century
Childcare.”

Ali, who was a guest speaker at the event delivered a
lecture titled: “Defilement of Children: Roles of Parents,
Guardians and Society.” The Ekiti FIDA Law Week was declared open
by the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola who was
represented by Justice Toyin Abodunde.

The event was attended by Wife of the Governor, Mrs.
Feyisetan Fayose represented by a Permanent Secretary in the state
civil service, Mrs. Peju Babafemi; Justice Cornelius Akintayo,
Justice Emmanuel Adesodun, Justice Dele Omotoso, former General
Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Obafemi
Adewale; former Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi; Ado-Ekiti NBA Chairman, Mr. Gbemiga
Adaramola and other members of the Bar.

The week-long event also featured goodwill messages,
cultural variety night, food competition between NBA and Nigeria
Union of Journalists (NUJ), award night and dinner, ladies day out
at Ikogosi Warm Spring and thanksgiving service.

Ali said the scourge of the abuse of minors should be
fought on all fronts by all relevant stakeholders to save the life
and future of the younger generation. The stakeholders, according
to him, include
parents, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and the
media.

The learned silk expressed concern that if nothing urgent
is done to tackle the menace of child defilement, the society is in
a precarious state and the consequences will be too difficult to
handle.

He said: “There should be a proactive and stringent
punishment enforcement for these child defilers. Even though the
offence of child defilement is in itself punishable with life
imprisonment, other
offences such as indecent assault, sodomy etc carry lesser
punishment.

“It is not just expedient to ensure maximum punishment, it
is also imperative to enforce this punishment in a very firm and
decisive manner. The police authorities should courageously
investigate and recommend for prosecution the alleged
offenders.

“The judiciary should not shy away from handing out
maximum punishment, when the occasion demands, to sex offenders.
This will serve as a deterrent to other aberrant members of the
public. Judges should dispense justice without interference from
the other arms of government and efforts should be made to ensure
that cases are resolved quickly.

“An ineffective judiciary will promote child abuse despite
the enactments of several laws prohibiting it. The use of juvenile
courts should be revived especially to try offenders. It is
strongly suggested that apart from the punishments provided in the
laws, the convicted offenders must be made to undergo compulsory
psychiatric rehabilitation.

Legal luminary, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN), has advocated a
proactive and stringent punishment enforcement to curb the rising
cases of sexual abuse of minors in Nigeria.

Apart from the punishment provided in the statute books
for convicted offenders, Ali also advised that convicts should be
made to undergo compulsory psychiatric rehabilitation saying:
“anyone will full sanity will not likely defile a child moreover
his own child.”

He spoke at the Annual Law Week of the Ekiti State Chapter
of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) held over
the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital which has as its theme
“The Roles of Stakeholders in the 21st Century
Childcare.”

Ali, who was a guest speaker at the event delivered a
lecture titled: “Defilement of Children: Roles of Parents,
Guardians and Society.” The Ekiti FIDA Law Week was declared open
by the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola who was
represented by Justice Toyin Abodunde.

The event was attended by Wife of the Governor, Mrs.
Feyisetan Fayose represented by a Permanent Secretary in the state
civil service, Mrs. Peju Babafemi; Justice Cornelius Akintayo,
Justice Emmanuel Adesodun, Justice Dele Omotoso, former General
Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Obafemi
Adewale; former Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi; Ado-Ekiti NBA Chairman, Mr. Gbemiga
Adaramola and other members of the Bar.

The week-long event also featured goodwill messages,
cultural variety night, food competition between NBA and Nigeria
Union of Journalists (NUJ), award night and dinner, ladies day out
at Ikogosi Warm Spring and thanksgiving service.

Ali said the scourge of the abuse of minors should be
fought on all fronts by all relevant stakeholders to save the life
and future of the younger generation. The stakeholders, according
to him, include
parents, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and the
media.

The learned silk expressed concern that if nothing urgent
is done to tackle the menace of child defilement, the society is in
a precarious state and the consequences will be too difficult to
handle.

He said: “There should be a proactive and stringent
punishment enforcement for these child defilers. Even though the
offence of child defilement is in itself punishable with life
imprisonment, other
offences such as indecent assault, sodomy etc carry lesser
punishment.

“It is not just expedient to ensure maximum punishment, it
is also imperative to enforce this punishment in a very firm and
decisive manner. The police authorities should courageously
investigate and recommend for prosecution the alleged
offenders.

“The judiciary should not shy away from handing out
maximum punishment, when the occasion demands, to sex offenders.
This will serve as a deterrent to other aberrant members of the
public. Judges should dispense justice without interference from
the other arms of government and efforts should be made to ensure
that cases are resolved quickly.

“An ineffective judiciary will promote child abuse despite
the enactments of several laws prohibiting it. The use of juvenile
courts should be revived especially to try offenders. It is
strongly suggested that apart from the punishments provided in the
laws, the convicted offenders must be made to undergo compulsory
psychiatric rehabilitation.