Juliet Akoje in Abuja
The House of Representatives has urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to establish special divisions within existing courts at all levels to swiftly handle cases of homicide, femicide, and related crimes.
It also urged the relevant law enforcement agencies to prioritise homicide investigations and ensure thorough prosecution of offenders and to investigate the causes of recent killings of women and girls across the country. The lawmakers further tasked religious organisations, the National Orientation Agency, and other advocacy groups to initiate public awareness campaigns focusing on instilling ethical values and respect for human life, and to promote programmes that educate young people on the dangers of ntual killings, murder, and manslaughter.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled “A National Call to Halt Homicidal and Femicidal Acts in Nigeria” moved by Hon. Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante, Hon. Faleke James Abiodun, Hon. Ogah Amobi Godwin and Hon. Manu Soro Mansur at plenary yesterday.
Presenting the motion, Abiante noted that the right to life is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Constitution while homicide cases including murder, manslaughter, and other violent crimes leading to the termination of life have been on the rise across the country, provoking public demand for justice.
He noted that Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls due to their gender, has become a significant concern, with several reported cases in recent years.
Abiante , while expressing his concern referenced the killing of Patience Adibe in February 2020 who was killed by her boyfriend in Benin after a brief argument.
“May 2020: Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 100 Level Microbiology Student of the University of Benin, was raped and murdered in a church, Collins Ujegbulem, one of the suspects, claimed that a woman paid them to kill her for ritual purposes. June 2020: Barakat Bello, an 18 years old student in Ibadan, was raped and stabbed to death”
“September 2020: 11 years old Favour Okechukwu was gang-raped and killed by four men in Lagos. April 2021: Iniobong Umoren, a fresh graduate, was raped and murdered by a man posing as a job interviewer in Uyo. December 2021: Hanifa Abubakar, a 5 years old girl, was kidnapped, poisoned, and murdered by her school proprietor in Kano”
“February 2022: Fashion designer Bamise Ayanwole was murdered after boarding a BRT Bus in Lagos. April 2022: Ifeanyi Njoku killed his girlfriend for money mituals. July 2022: Eunice Chioma Igweike was abducted, killed, and butchered by human parts dealers, Benjamin Best murdered his girlfriend, Augusta Osedion, a 300 Level Student at the University of Port Harcourt”
The lawmaker further said: “Distraught by the delays in the prosecution of homicide cases, which have caused prolonged pre trial detentions which is overcrowding the correctional facilities, and loss of crucial evidence, eroding public faith in the judicial system”
“Concerned that the slow and ineffective justice system allows perpetrators to gain media attention while trials for serious crimes like homicide are prolonged, an example is the case of Chidinma Ojukwu, under trial for the murder of Usifo Ataga, continues to gain publicity, and the notorious kidnapper Evans, facing trial for murder, has been awarded scholarship.”
“Aware that the NJC is responsible for overseeing the Judiciary and improving the efficiency of the judicial process, establishing Special Divisions within existing courts with exclusive jurisdiction over homicide and related cases will expedite jusuce, reduce backlogs, and restore public confidence in the legal system”
“Ethical enlightenment through public awareness campaigns focusing on ethical values and respect for human life and the integration of emotional intelligence programs to help young people develop non violent problem solving skills, could help curb this menace.”
