Kaduna govt to inaugurate rapid response team on rape cases

KADUNA State Government said on Tuesday it would set up a rapid response team to handle cases of rape and ensure justice for victims.

Hajia Hafsat Baba, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

Baba said setting up the team was a development strategy to address the menace of rape in the state.

“The response team would have all the stakeholders together – security agencies, ministries of Health, Education and Women Affairs – to quickly intervene in any reported case of rape.”

She said that the committee would be inaugurated soon.

Baba described the rising cases of rape as alarming, noting that it was being fueled by cultists and people with deep psychological problem.

“We don’t expect somebody who is in his right senses, an old person to be raping children as young as less than a year old.”

“We have been engaging with stakeholder including religious and traditional rulers to push them into playing their natural roles of enlightening the general public on the menace of rape in our society.

“We have been working hand in hand and I am happy to say that the Emir of Zazzau has been very active on the issue of rape cases.

” We had a meeting in his palace with all the traditional leaders on the role they needed to play as community leaders to ensure that we curb this menace.”

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The commissioner urged parents to take their responsibilities as parents seriously to protect them from sexual exploitation.

She also said that the state government was very concerned about the drug addiction among the populace and had begun verification of the licences of drug stores.

“Those undertaking the verification have been given permission to close down and prosecute those operating illegally.

“The government is doing it’s best to ensure that the sale of drugs most especially to young children is prohibited, and even to adults, it must be with a prescription,” the commissioner asserted.