SGBV: NHRC panel’ll adhere to principle of fair-hearing – Ojukwu

 Executive Secretary, National Human Right Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, Thursday assured Nigerians that the panel set up by commission to investigate the sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) in the North-central zone will follow the principle of fair-hearing in the discharge of its functions.

Ojukwu gave this assurance in Abuja during the public hearing of the special panel investigating SGBV in Nigeria for the North-central geo-political zone.

According to him, the panel will sit in private when the situation arose to protect the victims from stigmatisation and other challenges associated with sexual and gender based violence cases.

Blueprint had reported that armed security personnel arrested 71 women who held in different police stations in Abuja.

On how members of the panel were constituted, Ojukwu said, “The members of the panel where carefully selected to represent diverse interests of the society:  the Commission as the chair and secretariat, academia, gender experts, civil society and professional groups. The panel will also work closely with consultants, who will bring professional expertise in the field of SGBV to bear on the proceedings and report of the panel.”

Explaining further, he said, “the essence of this public sitting is to check the scourge of SGBV in Nigeria and increase access of Nigerians to the services of the commission to seek for accountability where there is evidence to indicate that any officer or officials or any individuals have been involved in Acts of sexual and gender-based violence.”

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