Human Rights Commission to end sexual and gender based violence in Nigeria

The National Human Rights Commission NHRC has reiterated its commitment to end sexual and gender based violence SGBV in the country.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu, who was represented by the Director Civil and Political Rights in the Commission, Mr Abduraman Yakubu stated this at the Public sitting of the special investigation panel on  SGBV in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.

SGBV complaints
Abduraman gave a breakdown of complaints received by the commission during the second round of the sitting.

“In the first round of the sitting, the committee received a total of 113 complaints. In this second round, the committee had equally received 119 complaints. They are as follows:

Enugu: 28, Lagos: 15, Ebonyi: 12, Cross-Rivers: 9, Rivers: 16, Sokoto: 7, Adamawa: 4, and FCT Abuja: 27″, Abduraman said.

He commended Nigerian Government for recognizing the mandate of the Commission and supporting it by setting up the panel to investigate and fight the ugly scourge against humanity.

The Coordinator, Child Protection Network in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria, Mrs Flora Egwu advised government and the panel to look for a way of protecting the complainants from intimidation that might come from perpetrators.

“When perpetrators threaten victims, some of them withdraw from the case out of fear”, she said.

Mrs Egwu urged all Nigerians to come together to fight the menace.

Nneka Ukachukwu