FG to create special court to tackle rape, SGBV – Malami


The federal government has stated its commitment to enhance child rights by creating a specialised court where victims of rights violations, especially children, would access justice.

The chairman of the event /Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, gave the hint Thursday while giving a keynote address at the project launch of the EU – UNICEF Access to Justice programme For Children on the move and other Vulnerable Children held in Abuja.

The initiatives is a collaborations between the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Police and the  United Nation’s Children Education Fund (UNICEF).

The highpoint of the two-day event was meeting of Justice Actors to Launch the Justice for Children Coordination Forum and their inauguration.

The inaugurated entities are drawn from the FMOJ, FMWA, LACON, NAPTIP, NHRC, NSCDC, NIALS, NJI, NBA, FIDA, UNICEF, UNODC, UNDP, OHCHR, IOM, ILO, University of Abuja and the Buni Yadi Foundation.

Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties and Research, Office of the AGF at the occasion, Professor  Mohammed Lawal Ahmadu, the AGF noted that the move will not only fast track cases and give justice to victims, it would also strengthen the justice system.

In his address, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, described period of childhood as delicate, saying the ministry is worried by spates of  bad parenting which has led to menace like banditry, drug abuse by children and all forms of social malfunctioning beyond their mental capacity.

Also speaking, the UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Mr Peter Hawkins lauded the programme aimed at protecting the child, saying it would also aid the country’s legal system.