The Oyo State Police Command has vowed not to compromise in handling cases of sexual abuse and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), assuring residents that offenders will be made to face justice.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, gave the assurance during an advocacy visit by the Oyo State ESGBV Media Corps to the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, on Monday September 14. He said cases involving children, women and other vulnerable persons, particularly rape and defilement, were treated with utmost seriousness.
Olugbenga said the command had recently recorded breakthroughs in cases involving child protection and human trafficking. He cited one where a child allegedly sold by her mother was recovered, as well as the rescue of a nine-day-old baby from human traffickers who had swapped the child with a dead one to deceive the parents. He said suspects linked to such offences would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
The CP said the command would continue to collaborate with the media and other stakeholders to tackle SGBV. He, however, identified difficulties in prosecuting some sexual abuse cases, particularly those involving relatives of survivors, when family members are reluctant to provide evidence in court.
Olugbenga said the command had established designated gender desks in police stations across all 33 local government areas to strengthen its response and improve access to police intervention.
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