The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has decried the alarming rate of gender based violence (GBV), calling on the Nigeria police and other relevant authorities to put in more action in order to eradicate the menace.
Country Vice President, FIDA Nigeria, Rhoda Tyoden, stated this in Abuja Wednesday when she led its members on a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, as part of activities of FIDA Africa regional congress.
She said about 80 million women and girls are still victims of gender-based violence in the country, asking for urgent action on the menace.
“There is still much work to be done. Research shows that approximately 80 million women and girls are still victims of gender-based violence. This is alarming and there is need to pull resources together to ensure that this menace is eradicated in Nigeria.
“Nigeria has the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act, 2015. The act has a wider coverage of violence including emotional, psychological and economic violence hence, matters classified as “family matters” have been clearly specified in the law as crimes,” she said.
She stressed that it was imperative to continuously train and sensitise the Police on the provisions of the VAPP Act, to ensure it is effectively utilised in Nigeria.
She said the theme for the regional congress; Growth of Women and Children in Africa: Beyond Rhetoric, was chosen following the need for the Nigeria Police Force to deeply understand the provisions of the VAPP Act so as to achieve its effective implementation
Tyoden lauded the police for establishing a gender unit for handling gender-related matters and the setting up of a gender desk across the police commands. She maintained, however, that a lot still needed to be done to eradicate the menace.
She, therefore, recommended that the gender desk officers be trained on how to handle victims of gender-based violence, adding that those trained officers should also be allowed to man the desk for 3-5 years before being transferred to another unit.
“This is to ensure that cases brought in are handled by the trained police personnel and are concluded or where not possible, the case has been substantially handled and there is a smooth transition,” she stressed.
Responding, the IGP represented by the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Alkali Baba Usman, assured of their continuous support to end gender-based violence in Nigeria
Usman also said the police will continue to train desk officers to be more efficient in handling gender matters, adding that more emphasis will also be laid on how officers on the desk will relate with victims of violence.
“I want to also say that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) we developed with you to handle gender based violence would be looked into appropriately and we urge FIDA to come closer to us so that we can put it into better practice,” he said.
