Nigeria Plans End To Gender-Based Violence
Nigeria is focussing on issues of sexual and gender-based violence and working to set up specialised courts and Judicial Divisions to address them.
The court which will work in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and under the Complex Case Group in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, leads in the efforts to bring suspected terrorists to justice and also work to include sexual violence related charges against Boko Haram suspects.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, disclosed this while speaking at a virtual session on “Special Event on Gender Dimensions of Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism” organized by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime as part of events commemorating the International Women Day held at Kyoto, Japan on the 8th day of March 2021.
The government had earlier set up an Inter-Ministerial Management Committee on Eradication of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence with the hope that these will be important tools in helping Nigeria to address the crime.
.Malami said the current administration also know well that giving a voice to women is an important aspect of development as women are important agents of positive change.
He noted with dismay that terrorist groups continue to kidnap and commit sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls noting that preventing these crimes and bringing those who commit these acts to justice remains a priority of the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Another emerging area of grave concern is the abduction and kidnapping of teenagers in boarding houses for ransom. The perpetrators targeted this group of people possible to scare them from schooling. This is indeed a sad situation.
The Nigerian armed forces and law enforcement agencies are working day and night to combat insecurity, terrorism, kidnapping and abduction of people in the country”.
“We must work to prevent both male and female perpetrators from carrying out these acts and support those who have been victims,” he said.
The AGF said in partnership with UNODC as well as the European Union, the Federal Government launch the “Nigeria Training Module on Gender Dimensions in the Criminal Justice: Response to Terrorism”.
According to him, the Module provides practical guidance based on Nigeria’s legal framework as well as international and African regional laws and good practices to support Nigerian officials in addressing the issues of gender in the counter-terrorism context.
He said “The Nigerian National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism” notes the important role women play not only as policy-makers and law enforcement officers, but also wives and mothers in preventing violent extremism and in de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.
Nigeria also has developed a National Action Plan on the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on the Women, Peace and Security agenda which he said was relevant to efforts to respond to the needs and promote the role of women in efforts to address terrorism.
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