Obaseki’s wife cautions against denying GBV victims justice

Wife of Edo State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, yesterday, cautioned parents, guardians, friends and other relatives of victims of gender-based violence begging for perpetrators for cases to be settled out of court, saying such persons will henceforth be joined in legal suits and charged for obstructing justice.

Mrs Obaseki, who is the chairman of the Edo State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, gave the warning during a sensitisation and advocacy tour of Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South Senatorial districts as part of activities for 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence in Edo State.

Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who declared the event open on behalf of Governor Godwin Obaseki, lamented the high rate of gender-based violence among highly placed people in the society.

He urged women to preserve the sanctity of marriage, saying: “I want to say it the way it is, whether you are at the top or the lowest part of the society, serious-minded people, highly placed government officials, political officials, pastors just name it, the way they treat their wives, you will think these women are not human beings.”

Obaseki, who also inaugurated Student Against Gender-Based Violence Clubs in primary and secondary schools in the three senatorial districts of the state, called on students to be watchdogs in their schools and assured them of the support of the committee.