The Network On Police Reform In Nigeria (NOPRIN Foundation) in conjunction with Project Alert recently hosted the media to a flag-off of this year’s 16 Days of Activism at the Watercress Hotel, Lagos. GBOYEGA ALAKA was there.
The arrest of 70 women, in Abuja in April this year by officers from the Utako Police Division, purportedly on the allegation of prostituting and the alleged subsequent sexual violation of some of these women by some members of the police force, amongst several other such cases, set the tone for the flag-off of this year’s 16 Days of Activism by NOPRIN (Network on Police Reform In Nigeria) Foundation and Project Alert last week in Lagos.
With the theme, ‘Sexual Abuse of Women by Law Enforcement Agencies,’ and on a day (November 25) globally set aside as International Day on Violence Against Women, both gender-sensitive organisations agreed there couldn’t have been a better day to espouse this rising societal malaise.
As daily media reports show, sexual abuse and other impunities by uniformed officers, especially the police, is at an alarming rate.
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According to Emmanuel Ikule, National Coordinator, NOPRIN Foundation “The Amnesty International had during the launch of a report late last year titled “Nigeria: Rape the Silent Weapon,” drawn attention to what it referred to as disturbing trends of rape and sexual violence against women and girls at the hands of police and security forces. It argued that the acts are further compounded and encouraged by the failure of the criminal justice system to bring culprits to book.
“Thus on the occasion of this year’s International Day Against Women, and the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism, which has as its theme, “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape,” NOPRIN is calling on the Inspector-General of Police, and the Chief of Defence Staff to take appropriate steps to curb the acts of sexual violence being perpetrated by their men. As law enforcement officers are not above the law, they are supposed to protect, not abuse women and girls. Thus if they commit acts of sexual abuse, they should be dismissed from the force and made to face the civil court on criminal charges.”
Ikule Added that NOPRIN will be working closely with Project Alert to monitor and report police sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in Nigeria.
Nsini Udenta of Project Alert, also raised the alarm on the rising spate of sexual violence against women and children, stating categorically that “No day passes without a reported case of sexual violence against innocent women and children.”
She said it is for this reason that the 16 Days of activism has come to stay as a global activism fortnight whereby individuals, governments and non-governmental organisations are expected to engage in various advocacies, including against sexual abuse.
She listed some of the activities to include: International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women (Nov. 25), International Women Human Rights Defenders Day (Nov. 29), World AIDS Day (Dec. 1), International Volunteers’ Day (Dec. 5) and the Anniversary of the Montreal massacre (Dec. 6).
Officials of the Federation of International lawyers, FIDA, led by its Lagos President, Mrs. Mrs Philomena Nneji and Mrs Olivia Nwachukwu (General secretary.
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