The Lagos State Government has written to Nigerian Police, demanding that it forward the duplicate of the case file on alleged assault on the Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe by her husband, Lanre Gentry.
The request for the case file, Vanguard gathered shows Government’s resolve not to back down from the case between actress and her husband.
The State Government in a letter written through the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, May 22, indicated its interest in prosecuting the alleged case of assault. Vanguard gathered that the resolve to write the Police was sequel to the result of the medical check-up conducted on the actress that indicated alleged assault by her husband.
It was learned that aside writing to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigative Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos Mainland Local Government, DPP also copied other relevant agencies, to alert them of its plan. The State Government argued that the assault contravene sections 171, 243 and 244 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
It would be recalled that Coordinator of the State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, Mrs. Titilola Vivour- Adeniyi, had during his sensitization programmes argued that Domestic Violence is a crime committed against the State.
She explained that if anyone is beaten or suffered abuse, the State is also being abused, noting, “we must begin to renew our mindsets and treat Domestic Violence for what it is; a crime against the State.”
Also, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, had during this year’s ministerial briefing said:
“The DPP is committed to ensuring that all offenders are brought to book thereby discouraging impunity in our society. “We are also committed to speedy trials, especially so that suspects are not detained for too long awaiting trial.
It is our belief that both the victims of a crime and the alleged offenders deserve to have their cases resolved at the earliest possible time,” he added.