Nigerian women have been advised to ensure they marry under the Marriage Act to their husbands to secure their future.
Although marriages conducted in churches, Islamic laws and traditional marriages are considered legal, the Executive Director, Crimes Victims Foundation of Nigeria (CRIVIFON), Mrs. Glolria Egbuji, and former Head of Training, Lagos State Police Command, ACP Victor Okon-Otoyo, said the right of a woman was more assured and protected, particularly on issues of inheritance, in a marriage conducted under the act.
They both spoke at a training programme on Human Rights and Election Security organised for officers of the Lagos State Command by The Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with Crime Victims of Foundation(CRVIFON) and Police Community Relations Committee(PCRC), Lagos State Command and held at the Officers Mess, GRA, Ikeja.
Mrs Egbuji advised women already married in churches, mosques and under traditional norms to ensure they marry legally to their husbands under the marriage act.
“If trouble comes, the woman suffers much. If legally married, you can claim a lot of things, including alimony and others”, she said, adding that if there are issues over children, the family, court is the place to go to fight for their rights.
She advised the officers to steer clear of wife and husband matters, saying that it is a civil matter to be handled by the courts.
Mrs. Egbuji advised Police officers and men against torturing suspects that were detained pointing out that torturing is a grievous offence and that it is not allowed under the rights to dignity of human person under Anti-Torture Act, stressing that the act prescribes imprisonment for officers who committed the offence.
She urged officers to avoid slapping or shouting at suspects in order to get them to remove their belts for instance, saying that such behaviour amounted to an offence under the Anti-Torture Act.
ACP Okon-Otoyo(rtd) said protest was a fundamental right under the Constitution and that such rights must be respected by officers.
He said the idea behind asking that organisers of such protest should inform the police is to protect and provide them with security so that the event is not hijacked by other people for criminal conduct.
He said the Child Rights Act 2003 and other related laws were put in place to protect children, stressing that children have rights to parental care, dignity, life, survival, growth, nutritionals.
He said: “It is an offence not to name a child. Parents must care for their children, give them education and guidance and proper upbringing.
A lawyer, Gabriel Orvan, lectured the police on conducts expected of them during elections said that police should not be identified with any political party but to remain neutral and ensure hitch free elections.
Orvan advised police not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to commit offences during the elections