Kano State Government north Western Nigeria has launched Sexual Offender Database ,SOD, as part of measures to check Gender-Based Violence (GBV) related offenses in the state.
The State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, said that the innovative approach was to ensure that offenders have no hiding place in the society.
He said that the need for Sexual Offender Database (SOD) was obvious due to ever-rising cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the society.
Abdullahi-Lawan said that SOD would also serve as deterrent to others as offenders would be named and shamed.
“The cooperation of the judiciary in the success of SOD cannot be overemphasized as court records will remain the most important and genuine source of feeding the SOD,” he said.
Lawan noted that the database is made of two registers, the Sexual Offender Register and Service Providers Register.
“Sexual Offender Register is a documentation of reported, arraigned or convicted cases of sex violation as defined by law.
“It is accessible to the public and security agencies.
“The data on those convicted is made available for the public directly on the website, while reported, arraigned but not convinced can be accessed based on demands.
“Service Providers Register has the objective of protecting the rights and interest of victims and survivors of the violence,” he said.
He explained that in Kano, the state Ministry of Justice was responsible for collecting, verifying, and uploading the records of convicted sexual offenders electronically.
The state Grand Kadi, Tijjani Yakasai, said that the menace is disturbing and increasing like a bush fire.
“All hands must be on deck to check the menace, also assured support of Shari’a Courts in that regard,” he said.
The state Chief Judge, Justice Nura Sagir-Umar, lamented on the high rate of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the society.
He therefore advocated the need for all stakeholders to be proactive in tackling the problem because no one is immune.
Sagir-Umar applauded the contributions of the police, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Women Lawyers, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), civil defense, and the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption (RoLAC).
Ime N
