Mrs. Biola Adimula is the Principal Partner, Biola Adimula and Co, an Ilorin-based law firm. She is also the Chairperson, Women and Child Watch Initiatives (WOCWI) a non-governmental organisation. A former chairperson of women lawyers in Kwara State, she discusses the vexed issue of domestic violence.

WITH her disarming modesty in appearance, speech and conduct, she is bound to leave a lasting impression on you. Meeting Mrs. Biola Adimula, Chairperson, Women and Child Watch Initiatives (WOCWI) a non-governmental organsation, you will definitely be captivated by her humility, unpretentiousness and warmth.

A woman of many parts, through perseverance, she has been able to achieve her goal in life, which is championing the cause of women and children through the instrumentality of the law. Being the Principal Partner, Biola Adimula and Co, in Ilorin, Kwara State, she is nota role model only in her office and the organisation, but also to her immediate family. 

Born in Omupo and raised by parents who were farmers, she recalls her growing up days, which she describes as interesting: “I was not born with a silver spoon; my parents were farmers. So, I was used to farming and working very hard. I go to farm in the morning before going to school and after school went back to the farm to work and bring back some harvest. Because I had no other life, I was enjoying it with my brothers and sisters. I will say that it has paid off today because it has given me versatility and I can do so many things at the same time.”

With more than 18 years in legal practice, Adimula, who obtained her first degree in Law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has a passion for championing the cause of abused women and children. So, she delves more into family law cases and issues that have to do with women and children, in addition to property business of buying, selling and managing properties for her clients. She also lectures at the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin.

Her words: “You will discover there are so many needs in the society. What inspired me was the burden to serve; the burden to do humanitarian services for those who are suffering, especially to defend those that cannot defend themselves because they cannot afford it. Access to justice for women and children is a serious issue and one of the things we cannot run away from in the society these days is domestic violence.” 

Her experiences as former chairperson of women lawyers in Kwara State come handy in the discourse of domestic violence. “What is interesting is that when you come to hear about such cases and you take it up by going to court, once you start, the woman will cooperate when she is still suffering that beating or agony. But as soon as you are, may be one quarter way to the matter, they will begin to come and beg that they don’t want to continue with the case because of family integrity and that they don’t want to leave their children, they don’t want to leave their family home, and you will not be able to pursue it.” 

“Some women cannot access justice because of poverty; others, because of ignorance. They are not aware that there are a group of women lawyers that can do their cases free of charge. For some of them, it is because they want to maintain culture and customary integrity. Even if they will die in the hands of that husband, let them be in their husband’s house so that people will not say that they have left their husband’s house. 

 She discloses that domestic violence cuts across the strata of the society as both rich and poor women are affected. “In fact, the society women are experiencing it more but because of integrity, maintaining high social status, they will not want to speak out. Therefore, one of the major problems we have for access to justice for women is not speaking out. However, these days, perhaps because of awareness and sensitization programmes, some women are coming out to speak about it and this is one of the things that we do in our Non-Governmental Organisation.”

Adimula, who shares her views on the rising incidence of rape cases in our society, however, points out that it is a very sensitive issue that is difficult to prove by virtue of the provision of the law wherein you are expected to provide a minimum of two witnesses and proofs to show that there was actually a rape.

“It has been very cumbersome,” she admits, “but the improvement of the law is putting in place the Child Rights Act 2003. And in Kwara State, it is the Child Rights Law 2006. Under this Child Rights Law, the evidence you need to prove rape is milder, such that what is expected for such a girl that is raped is to go the hospital at least within 12 hours to take the test and to be able to show medical evidence in court. By so doing, you can be able to establish the offence of rape and the rapist can be brought to book; and I hope that this law will be implemented seriously because so many people do not know that the law is in existence.” 

Commending the efforts of the Chief Justice of the nation, Justice Mariam Mukhtar in bringing sanity to the Nigerian judiciary, she says probing of some judges, no matter how highly placed, would ginger others to do the right thing. 

“The issue of corruption in the judiciary is something that is quite painful in the sense that we usually say that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. But suddenly you wake up and you discover that there is a lot of corruption in the judiciary and it went to an alarming situation that we could not even hide our faces as members of the legal profession which is supposed to be honourable. 

“Not only in the judiciary, we also have legal practitioners that are also very corrupt but some of the steps being taken by disciplinary and privileges committee on professional ethics are good signs that sanity can be brought back in the interest of the public. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), especially at the national level, has set up a committee; a lot is being done to ensure that corruption is being monitored and branches are expected to report issues of corruption,” she explains.

For all she achieves in the pursuit of her passion, she appreciates the tremendous support of her husband, Professor Issac Abiodun Adimula, a physicist. “I thank God for the support of my willing husband who is always there to allow me to go and do my professional work and also to be able to have peace at the home front. However, everyday I wake up very early to ensure that I take care of the home front before going for any endeavor for the day,” she disclosed.

Born on February 21, 1967, Ruth Abiola Adimula, is a member of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a Life Member, International Federation of Women Lawyers. She is also a Fellow, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, United Kingdom (UK) and Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK. A Christian who can’t stand deceit, her philosophy of life is “Live and Let Live.”