The House of Representatives, yesterday, urged the Nigeria Police and National Security Intelligence, NSI, to fast track Force investigations into the murder of Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwola and ensure that her killers were brought to justice.
The call came on the heels of a motion under matter of urgent public importance, titled ‘Rampant Cases of Violence, Incessant Rape and Ritual Killing of Our Women Folks: A Call for Urgent Intervention’, presented at yesterday’s plenary by the minority leader, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu.
In his motion, Elumelu described the rising cases of violence, incessant rape and ritual killing of female Nigerians by criminally-minded persons in various parts of the country as alarming, worrisome and, therefore, the need for urgent reaction.
Elumelu said: “In the last six weeks, so many incidents have occurred that have made headlines and the recent being that of 22yr old Miss Oluwabamise Ayanmola whose corpse was found on Carter Bridge at Ogogoro Community in Lagos Island, nine days after being declared missing by her family with some vital parts missing.
“Oluawabamise was last seen on February 26, 2022, after boarding a BRT bus with number 240257 at about 7 pm around the chevron bus stop.
“There are allegations that the BRT driver earlier confessed of having canal knowledge of late Miss Bamise before killing her and harvesting some vital organs only for the story to change after some influential Nigerians intervened on his behalf.
“Many of these cases are under-reported because of the stigma attached to such incidences and the molestation attached to it by the security agents when such reports are made.”
Expressing worry over gender-based violence, the lawmaker said: “If serious sensitization on the preventive and elimination of gender-based violence is not embarked on to curb this menace, young girls and women across Nigeria will keep falling victims to sexual assault, rape and continuous ritual killings.
“As Nigerians, we must realise that this is a fight that demands action from everyone of us, hence the need to sing with a loud voice that there is no place in our country for those who commit this sort of violence and this can be achieved by adopting a multi-facet approach that requires an increase in advocacy and partnerships between government, the private sectors and grassroots.”
Besides, he said: “The continuous reviews of the existing policies and laws on gender-based violence that accommodates the best practices and strategies will nip this scourge in the bud and reduce future occurrences.”
Adopting the motion, the House mandated its committee on Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence to ensure compliance to the resolution just as it later observed a minute silence in honour of deceased Ayanwola.
