Uwaila Omozuwa: Obaseki talks tough, assures perpetrators will be dealt with
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has assured that all the perpetrators who brutally raped 22-year-old Uwaila Omozuwa and left her for dead in the state last Wednesday would be dealt with.
Omozuwa’s death on Saturday night after three days in a coma has sparked outrage on the internet prompting demand for justice from many Nigerians tweeting with the hashtag #JusticeForUwa.
Obaseki in a series of tweets said he has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to “thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to the death of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 100-level student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN)”.
The governor said the Police has been mandated to identify, arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable in Omozuwa’s death.
“The Violence Against Persons (VAP) Law is in effect in our state, using this law, we would ensure to investigate what exactly transpired and deal decisively with those found complicit in the dastardly act, whoever they might be.”
The Law was signed into law by Obaseki in February 2019 to address all forms of violence and protect vulnerable members of the society. It prohibits violence against all persons and provides maximum protection and effective remedy for victims and punishment for offenders and other related matters.
According to the law, if a man beats his wife, he risks two years in prison if the case is proven. It is also an offence for men to abandon their duties.
The Bill also proscribes life imprisonment for anyone caught engaging in Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) without an option of fine.
While signing the Bill to law in 2019, Obaseki had said “We will not stop here by just signing the bill into law, but will commence the much difficult work of implementing it to the letter”.
