*Lagos market women get boost in key legal rights provisions
The Rights Enforcement and Public Law Centre (REPLACE) on Monday emphasised the importance of educating communities, especially vulnerable members and those at the grassroot on the provisions of the criminal justice law of Lagos State.
Speaking at the Community Awareness Programme organised in Ajah Market, by REPLACE in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme aim to enlighten women and vulnerable groups with knowledge of their legal rights and correct misconceptions surrounding the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), the Executive Director, REPLACE, Felicitas Aigbogun-Brai, said the awareness was expedient to flag-off the community sensitization to enable women get a boost in the legal rights knowledge.
She explained that there are certain provisions in the criminal justice law of Lagos State, enacted in 2015 and amended in 2021, that protects the rights of women and vulnerable people, thus the need to educate the women.
She stressed that REPLACE has engaged with different law enforcement agencies, such as the Nigeria Police Force, the lawyers and legal aid providers as well as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), noting that, “our engagement with the police officers focused on the need for them not to arrest persons in lieu and should expect more women to stand as surety with their rights respected.”
“We have also extended the training to lawyers, legal aid providers, national human rights commission, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) advocating that the rights of women, children and vulnerable persons should be respected and valued,” she added.
Aigbogun-Brai, said they also met with the Iyaloja who sent representatives for the activities and they donated sensitisation materials for the iyaloja to paste around the market and offices.
The Centre called for more government support and the police as the federal agency and enforcers of laws that deal with citizens to support the full compliance and implementation of the law in the state and country at large.
Speaking with the Secretary, Ajah Market, Mr Paul Ogunyemi, said, the awareness no doubt had enhance the knowledge of the criminal justice law among traders as they have been abreast with opportunities to be treated well.
Speaking on harassment, he said “prior to the last sensitisation in the market and now, there has been a lot of difference. Now everyone knows abusing a woman is an offence, also that, women can now stand as surety in bail and every citizen must be treated with dignity in the face of the law.
“Also, the market rules cover certain provisions of the law. In the past, women have suffered, playing second fiddle in the society and the law has now provided opportunities for them to be treated equally in the society,” he added.
He said market women are critical stakeholders in the society, but don’t have enough time to know what the laws say, so the awareness would help educate them and equip them with actions to take if they fall victim.
Coordinator, Child Protection network, Eti- Osa and Ibeju Lekki, Princess Marylove Olatunbosun, said the sensitisation is beneficial so the women know the course of action to take when their rights are infringed upon.
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