Also at the launch was the country’s Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu, who observed that the Nigeria Police Force has recorded about 1,200 cases of rape, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation from January 2020 to date. He said the emergence of COVID-19 has contributed to the rise in reports of sexual and gender-based violence.
“Despite the challenges faced, the Nigeria Police as a major stakeholder in the fight against the menace of sexual violence and all related cases will not relent in its effort in the thorough investigation and prosecution of offenders, giving full support and encouragement to survivors of violence to break the culture of silence and give them speedy access to justice in accordance with the laws at any given time,” Adamu said.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, commended the initiative but said there is a need to proffer measures that are effective and sustainable in the light of the peculiar circumstances especially in a pandemic or sundry situations.
He said the 9th Senate under the leadership of the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan is poised towards making laws and or amending existing legislation that will strengthen the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in conformity with global best practices.