NGO offers free community legal clinic to Lagos residents 

Women’s Right and Health Project (WRAHP) has offered free community legal Clinic to 50 residents of Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos.

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The clinic which provides free legal aid services was implemented by WRAHP in partnership with Canada Fund For Local Initiative/Fonds Canadien d’initiatives locales (CDLI/FCIL).

The Executive Director, Bose Ironsi, said that community legal clinics were the backbone of legal aid services providing aid to underprivileged and marginalised communities.

Ironsi said that the legal clinic played a crucial role in ensuring access to justice for all, especially girls and women who were survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.

“This programme provides an opportunity for community members to assess pro bono lawyers and typically offers services such as legal representation, advice and counselling on the legal frame of SGBV. Human Rights, Child Rights Law and Disability Law and Domestic Violence law and assistance with safety planning and accessing other resources on Sexual and Gender-Based violence. This training funded by the Canada Fund For Local Initiative is part of our efforts to ensure that survivors are well informed on their rights on legal issues. We will work with community structures that include Artisans, Market women and men, Christian and Muslim Clergy and other community members” she said.

Ironsi said that the initiative would be carried out in the six LCDAs in Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) before the end of the project.

A Participant, Chief Rasheed Onisemo, Chairman, B, Zone 2 formerly Ifesowapo Community Development Association (CDA), said he loved the training session and gained a lot from it.

Another Participant, Bolanle Olowolehin, said that the training session was an eye-opener that many women were dying in silence for refusal to speak out or did not know the right place to go.

The experts at the training enlightened participants on Overview of Sexual and Gender Based Violence and the Legal Framework of the Protection Against Domestic Violence Law of Lagos State, Reporting Pathways of SGBV.

Other sessions are Legal Framework on the Disability Law of Lagos State and Legal Framework on Child Rights Law of Lagos State 2015.

NAN/Wumi