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…10 arraigned for assault on LASTMA
The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) yesterday disclosed that the state has added the names and information of 206 persons Convicted of sexual offences in the state to the National Sexual Offenders Register.
The government also said that the State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team also responded to 3,831 cases of domestic violence between April 2020 to April 2021.
Speaking while giving an account of the performance of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice at the 2021 Ministerial Press Briefing, Onigbanjo said that of the 3,831 reported cases of domestic violence, 2,629 involved adults while 1,202 of the cases involved children.
“A call center number 08000333333 has been launched to respond to reports of gender-based violence and the state government will also be providing compensation and empowerment for survivors,” he said.
Onigbanjo added that the Public Advisory Center of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, between April 2020 and April 2021, rendered advice on 47,586 cases ranging from tenancy, pension claims, domestic violence, health matters and illegal demolition of properties.
“The Ministry’s Citizen Mediation Center (CMC) within a year, resolved 9,686 cases out of 12,358.
“Recently the CMC Ojokoro-Ijaiye, on April 14, 2021 successfully restored a family back into their apartment after being locked out by the aggrieved landlord for 18-days.
“The Directorate of Citizens Rights resolved 1,640 petitions covering landlord and tenant, employer-employee matters and matrimonial disputes.
“The Directorate also recovered N51, 500, 000 (Fifty One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) on behalf of complainants,” he said.
The commissioner added that Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Justice has recovered over ₦67 million for indigent residents who had different cases in court in the Last one year.
He said the sum of N67,305,422.00 that was recovered has been handed to the residents.
Onigbanjo, while rendering an account of the ministry’s activities between April 2020 and April 2021, said the government’s Office of Public Defender (OPD) won 82 of its cases, with 39 against its position.
The commissioner said OPD also secured the release of 198 #EndSARS protesters who were arrested by security operatives.
Onigbanjo added, the inmates were defended in court hearings by government lawyers from the OPD.
The commissioner stated that some of the cases were resolved through the plea bargain option.
The Senior Advocate noted that the ministry’s Citizen Mediation Centre (CMC) resolved 9,686 cases out of 12,358 within the year under review.
Onigbanjo said CMC recently aided the restoration of a family to their apartment after being locked out by the aggrieved landlord for 18 days.
He said the state government will continue to evolve in its resolve to promote speeding dispensation of justice which birthed the introduction of Telephone mediation.
The commissioner listed other achievements in quick justice delivery to also include the introduction of Virtual Court Sitting.
Onigbanjo said the state judiciary has treated about 490 cases through virtual hearing for judgments and rulings.
He reiterated that the first virtual Court hearing in Lagos was held on 4 May 2020 where one Olalekan Hameed was sentenced to death by hanging.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General reiterated the commitment of the State Government to prosecute any form of assault on government officials to the full extent of the law.
He said this, in view of recent cases of attack on LASTMA and Taskforce officials in the State, where he stated Ten persons have so far been arraigned before the Courts for assaulting LASTMA officials on lawful duty
He also mentioned that the Mobile Courts in the state within a year, arrested, arraigned and convicted 62,477 traffic offenders.
