Betty Akeredolu, wife of Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo state, says she has engaged the services of Taekwondo professionals to train young girls on self-defence against rapists.
According to NAN, Akeredolu said this on Friday when she delivered a letter to Undie Adie, the state commissioner of police, to express her displeasure over the rising incidents of rape in the state.
The governor’s wife paid a visit to Adie over the rape of a student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, by soldiers at the Ikare/Akungba checkpoint last week.
She vowed not to treat the issue of rape in the state with levity while appealing to the police to ensure that the “soldier-rapists are treated as criminals”.
She said soldiers are supposed to be protectors of civilians, but the incident has proved that “Ondo women are not safe with anyone”, hence, the need to equip them with Taekwondo skills for self-defence.
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“I’m making a public announcement that we are going to promote taekwondo in Ondo state, all our daughters will learn taekwondo for our safety because if that student had the skill those randy soldiers couldn’t have been able to overcome her”, she said.
She added that if the case of “a soldier in an army uniform” raping a woman was brought to the fore and perpetrators are made to face the full wrath of the law, it would serve as a deterrence to others.
Akeredolu, who disclosed that she had earlier scheduled a one million woman protest against rape in army uniform for Thursday, explained that she decided to suspend it so that “political distractors would not capitalise on the protest to cause confusion”.
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Responding, Adie assured her that the case would be treated with all seriousness, saying the force has not been taking the issue of rape lightly.
Adie said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the army commander transfers them to him to the police.
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