Concerned Civil Society Actors in Sokoto State, have appreciated Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for his various strides toward the development of the state, especially in the promotion of rule of law and Justice for all citizens.
The group made the assertion in a statement jointly signed by Rabiu Gandi, Coordinator of the sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) Response Team, Tayo Fatinikun, State Secretary of the Child Protection Network (CPN) and Abdulganiyu Abubakar, National Coordinator of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) in Sokoto on Saturday.
Part of the statement reads, “we wish to express our support to the governor for the various strides he has made towards the development of the state, especially in the promotion of rule of law and Justice to the oppressed.
“We commend him for his stand against Gender Based violence, where he vowed that there shall be zero tolerance for violence against women and children and under his watch, he will do all that is necessary to eliminate this growing menace.
“In this regard, we like to state that we are keenly interested in the ongoing alleged abuse reportedly committed by a son of one of his Special Advisers, who reportedly video taped a private event.
“This is without the consent of the other party who was at the time 16 years. He released the same video to different social media platforms three years after,” it said.
The joint statement added that the alleged act is tantamount to honour killing as it was not done in good faith and called for fair Justice to be served which will be a strong deterrent to others.
“In lieu of the pedigree of the governor, we urge him to use his good offices to ensure that Justice is served, he should highlight his passion for fighting for the weak and oppressed by domesticating international and national policies and laws.
“We call upon the Police to leave a legacy of justice for the oppressed under their watch by ensuring proper investigation, diligent prosecution and not leaving any stone unturned.
“To the judiciary, we urge you to give hope to the poor and draw the line that private power and responsibility should always be used for public good,” it added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four accused men on the alleged rape video circulation were on Friday arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in the state.
The accused, Aminu Hayatu-Tafida, Umar Abubakar, Mas’ud Gidado and Aliyu Kangiwa were arraigned over alleged criminal conspiracy, rape and defamation of character.
They are also charged for alleged act of gross indecency, abetment, sale of obscene book and printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory.
The Chief Magistrate, Shu’aibu Ahmad, adjourned the case to Oct. 5, to enable the police prepare and file their charges properly.