Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki visited the family of late Uwaila Omozuwa over the weekend to “celebrate her life.”
Ms Omozuwa, who was a freshman studying microbiology at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), was allegedly raped and murdered in a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish in Benin last year.
Speaking with the family, Mr Obaseki said, “Uwaila did not die in vain. The federal and state governments have taken stiffer actions against gender-based violence. We are here to continue to celebrate her life as we continue to fight against gender-based violence.
“Her death was the reason for the establishment of gender-based violence committee. The Edo State Government has put mechanisms in place to fight gender-based violence-related offenses.
“Her death led to the promulgation of the Violence Against Persons (VAP) law in the state and people are now aware of the crime.”
Father of the deceased, Johnson Omozuwa, commended the Edo State Government in the fight against gender-based violence in the state, adding that the assistance provided by the state government has helped to heal the pains of her death.
Obaseki, who also visited some orphanages, urged Nigerians to continue to show love during the period of the celebration. The governor said, “At this time when we are celebrating Christmas, I think the emphasis should be placed on the vulnerable, and those who are not strong. We should extend a hand of fellowship, extend happiness to those who are not fortunate as us.
“That is why we are going round to do as much as we can to physically visit orphanages and people who have challenges, at this time of the year. Through the Data to MEGA, we now have a database of ten thousand vulnerable persons and we are sending them gift items across the state.”
The police had in August 2020 paraded six suspects linked to the incident. Not much has been heard as to their prosecution.
