Worried by incessant child abuse in the society, the Office of Public Defender (OPD) of the Lagos state ministry of justice has held a sensitisation seminar for patents, community leaders and other stakeholders to curb the menace.
The sensitization seminar held at the legislative building of the Oshodi-Isolo local government with the theme: “Sensitization and Public Awareness Campaign On Child Protection and Justice in Lagos State”, aimed at educating stakeholders on the need to stop all forms of child abuse in the state.
The event was organised in collaboration with United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to educate all and sundry against abusing the child.
Speaking at the event, Director Office of Public Defender (OPD), Mrs. Olubunmi Adesomoju, stated that the campaign is aim at educating the public about the values placed on the child rights and protections by Lagos State government and the existing law in the state, which outlined how a child is protected and the importance of a child welfare.
Sensitising the residents, Mrs Adesomoju explained that there are processes of handling a child that committed crime through a special court and rehabilitation centers where vocational trainings are learned.
“We have gathered to educate our people on the need to stop child abuse of any form and to also encourage them to report any case of abuse to the OPD for management and possible prosecution through the ministry of justice if mediation fails to settle the case. We always encourage mediation so as to make peaceful resolution of conflicts,” she said.
Speaking on the need for patents to take proper custody of their children, Adesomoju said; “It is not just to have a child, parent should take care of their child’s needs and protect the child against any forms of abuses like physical and sexual.”
Others at the sensitisation seminar include the chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Oshodi-Isolo Local Government area, Hon. Saheed Animashaun, deputy directors from the OPD, Ajayi Yetunde, Ojeniara Morufu, Mrs Ladipo and other personalities, including members of Community Development Committee (CDC), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Oshodi-Isolo local branch, NGOs, human rights activists and academia.
