The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has called for stronger prosecution of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cases across Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States.
The demand was made at a 3-day Multi-sectoral Engagement meeting in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, which brought together law enforcement officers, judicial actors, NGOs, agencies, and religious leaders. The forum focused on improving justice responses and promoting survivor-centered approaches in tackling FGM.
Speaking on behalf of Oyo’s Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, Permanent Secretary Rotimi Babalola described the engagement as “timely,” stressing that despite existing laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) and the Child Rights Law, the harmful practice persists.
Babalola identified weak enforcement, low reporting, poor survivor protection, and fragmented inter-agency collaboration as major setbacks. He commended UNICEF for initiating the workshop, noting its goal of improving case documentation, survivor protection, and prosecution of offenders.
“The goal is clear—to enhance FGM reporting, ensure survivor protection, and strengthen the justice system through improved collaboration,” Babalola said.
UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist, Denis Onoise, highlighted that although many states had adopted the VAPP Act, prosecutions remained rare due to community reluctance to report cases. He urged lawmakers and justice institutions to scale up enforcement, increase funding for anti-FGM programmes, and involve traditional and male advocacy groups in awareness campaigns.
“We need to increase our steps ten times beyond what we are doing now to eradicate FGM in our states by 2030,” Onoise stressed.
Similarly, Dr. Dare Adaramoye, Executive Director of Trailblazer Initiative, called for the establishment of specialized gender-based violence courts to fast-track cases, citing serious gaps in the reporting and justice systems that allow perpetrators to escape punishment.
Stakeholders at the meeting resolved to push for stronger legal action, better survivor support, and deeper community engagement as part of efforts to eliminate FGM by 2030, in line with global targets.
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