Kuje Area Council partners NAPTIP against SGBV

Kuje Area Council of the FCT has pledged to collaborate with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to fight Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the council. The Chairman of the council, Alhaji Abdullahi Sabo, made the pledge at a one-day community advocacy/dialogue on SGBV issues, organised by NAPTIP for stakeholders in Kuje on Thursday.

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Sabo, who was represented by Abdullahi Sabo (Snr), said the council would fight SGBV through advocacy and service provision.

He said the council would also set up response centers across the 10 political wards to support the fight. He added that the time for complacency has long gone; it is time for action.

“We can no longer watch over 70 percent of women in our communities face physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. For an effective response to this menace, the need for collaboration by the different sectors in society cannot be over-emphasized. As an institution, we need to support survivors of SGBV and hold the perpetrators accountable.”

Earlier, the NAPTIP Director-General, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, had said that the dialogue was aimed at discussing the unique roles of community stakeholders in reducing SGBV in the FCT.

She explained that it was also to empower community members to recognize early signs of abuse, promptly intervene, and create a zero-tolerance culture to the menace.

“We must collectively continue to create a supportive environment where survivors feel empowered to report cases of SGBV, this lies in the hands of the communities. Some parents can be complacent and may fail to protect their children from abusive and exploitative situations.”

Waziri-Azi, therefore, encouraged Nigerians to report cases of SGBV to NAPTIP, as well as preserve evidence, especially rape cases.

NAN/Wumi