THE Lagos State government Thursday said about 427 cases of rape of minors were reported in the state last year, while many other cases were not reported by parents wanting to protect the integrity and identity of the child-victims.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, made the shocking revelation at a briefing on Criminal Justice System held at Alausa, Ikeja.
He stated although the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) recently got positive judgments in respect of six cases, the ministry still had problems of assembling evidences on rape cases because most of the cases were reported late.
He also said the state will commence the take over of abandoned property in the state as a means of preventing criminals from using them as hideouts.
Ipaye added that abandoned vehicles and property have continued to create safe havens for criminal and criminal activities.
“We cannot allow abandoned buildings, vehicles anymore because that is where miscreants use as hideout. Government cannot, hence the need to remove or sanitise them. I do not need to stress that security is an issue which we must all take serious,” he said.