Gender Based Violence: Nigeria Sets New Standard Procedure for Violators

The Nigerian Government is putting machinery in motion to combat the growing rate of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV in the country.

The country’s Ministries of Justice and education are currently working together to develop standard operating procedures to create a legal pathway for the prosecution of school-related Gender-based violence.

This will be achieved through the support of the British Council Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Program, RoLAC.

At a three-day Capacity Building Workshop for Investigators and Prosecutors on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Abuja, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami informed development partners that, President Mohammed Buhari’s administration has provided all enabling support structures, legal, and the financial requirement to eliminate the social ill of sexual violence against women.

Represented by the solicitor-general of the Federation Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Malami reassured development partners of the unwavering commitment of the government to eliminate SGBV.

Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen regretted that despite government efforts to combat SGBV, not much was done in the area of prosecution.

She noted that from the available statistics from the national situation room and dashboard set in the federal ministry of women supported by UNDP under the UN/EU spotlight initiative, not much has been achieved in the area of prosecution.

The Minister noted that, “As at November, 2022 the total number of cases reported was 11,053, fatal cases were 401,close cases 592, while open case pending stood at 3, 507 while only 33 have been convicted.”

The Inspector General of police, Usman Baba assured the commitment of the force in dealing with cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence would.

Represented by Deputy commissioner of police, in charge of the Gender unit, Rita Oki, the IGP said, there would no longer be instances of any cases of police refusal to release relevant data for prosecution of violators of SGBV.

Also speaking the Executive Secretary of the National Human Right Commission, NHRC, Mr. Anthony Ojukwu encourages victims of Sexual and Gender Base Violence to always speak out to discourage violators from getting away with their crime.

Confidence Okwuchi