OPD Gets 1719 Petition.
The Lagos State Office of the Public Defender, OPD has received 1,719 petitions bothering on assault, child abuse and others from the public in the last eight months.
OPD, an arm of the Ministry of Justice renders free legal service to the oppressed and downtrodden in the society.
Statistics received from the office showed that 60 people have petitioned the office over assault cases and wanted the OPD to get justice for them, while six cases of child abuse in the form of rape had also been reported.
The Office received 53 petitions bothering on child custody and maintenance and 40 petitions on compensation. It also received 166 petitions on court matters and eight others on dissolution of marriage.
Of other petitions received, employee/employer dispute had 315; domestic violence, 53; estate/land, 28; family matters, 218; tenancy cases, 193; seized property, 83; unlawful detention, 98 and others, 398.
The Deputy Director, OPD, Mrs Yinka Adeyemi said the office had received several petitions from the public, soliciting from free legal services and that the office had been representing them in the court as well as helping to settle some of the disputes.
Adeyemi said the office was confronted with the challenges of relations of victims of rape cases coming up to terminate the cases in the court, thus hindering the chances of getting justice for the victims.
“Our challenges are that the people we deal with, like cases of child abuse; while we are handling their cases, their relations will come up to say they are no longer interested in the case.
“On domestic violence involving women, the people involve do not want to come out but in recent times, we have seen an increase in women coming up to report such cases. We advise women to come up to report such cases. They should not die in silence. We have seen cases of women being battered to death
“Women should not die in silence; once it has happened, come to the OPD. In some cases, we have prevented husbands from beating the women. Our women should not suffer in silence, they should speak out,” she said.
She disclosed that a family court has been established, where the oppressed could get justice, adding that “our goal is to bring justice to the doorstep of citizens of Lagos State. We want to see that as long as you are in Lagos State, your rights are not trampled upon.”
The Lagos State Office of the Public Defender, OPD has received 1,719 petitions bothering on assault, child abuse and others from the public in the last eight months.
OPD, an arm of the Ministry of Justice renders free legal service to the oppressed and downtrodden in the society.
Statistics received from the office showed that 60 people have petitioned the office over assault cases and wanted the OPD to get justice for them, while six cases of child abuse in the form of rape had also been reported.
The Office received 53 petitions bothering on child custody and maintenance and 40 petitions on compensation. It also received 166 petitions on court matters and eight others on dissolution of marriage.
Of other petitions received, employee/employer dispute had 315; domestic violence, 53; estate/land, 28; family matters, 218; tenancy cases, 193; seized property, 83; unlawful detention, 98 and others, 398.
The Deputy Director, OPD, Mrs Yinka Adeyemi said the office had received several petitions from the public, soliciting from free legal services and that the office had been representing them in the court as well as helping to settle some of the disputes.
Adeyemi said the office was confronted with the challenges of relations of victims of rape cases coming up to terminate the cases in the court, thus hindering the chances of getting justice for the victims.
“Our challenges are that the people we deal with, like cases of child abuse; while we are handling their cases, their relations will come up to say they are no longer interested in the case.
“On domestic violence involving women, the people involve do not want to come out but in recent times, we have seen an increase in women coming up to report such cases. We advise women to come up to report such cases. They should not die in silence. We have seen cases of women being battered to death
“Women should not die in silence; once it has happened, come to the OPD. In some cases, we have prevented husbands from beating the women. Our women should not suffer in silence, they should speak out,” she said.
She disclosed that a family court has been established, where the oppressed could get justice, adding that “our goal is to bring justice to the doorstep of citizens of Lagos State. We want to see that as long as you are in Lagos State, your rights are not trampled upon.”
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