Rights commission protest in Abuja over incessant rape, SGBV

By Albert Akota

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the federal government as matter of urgency to put in place programs for prevention, protection and provision of services to those vulnerable groups affected or impacted by Rape and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV).

The Executive Secretary of the commission Tony Ojukwu who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when he led a peaceful protest against rape to the ministers of information and women affairs, Pauline Tallen said statistics of women and girls being raped and abused on daily basis from all parts and regions of the country is worrisome.

He noted that the horror on account of rape and other violent crimes against women and girls leading to the death of some of the victims has reached a horrifying and scary proportion.

According to Ojukwu, Rape and SGBV is a gross violation of human rights and a crime. It is a violation of the right to dignity, right to life, right to sexuality, based on discrimination, abuse by the perpetrator, but also a violation when the responsible authority fails to take action to ensure redress and accountability to victims and survivors.

Rape and SGBV affects different categories of people, especially the most vulnerable like children, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and men. Rape and SGBV has devastating consequences not only on the victims or the survivors, but on the society.

He revealed that the commission has put together a week long activism with the theme Equality and Dignity for Nigerian Women, Join the Fight against Rape and SGBV, to create and maintain visibility on the issue of rape, conscientize the public on the dangers of rape and other SGBV.

He call on all stakeholders such as the Executive, legislature, judiciary, traditional and religious gate keepers, political opinion leaders, wives of governors, etc to live up to their responsibilities by putting in place enabling environment for the protection of the dignity of lives of women and girls in Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, ministers of information and women affairs, Pauline Tallen said government will strengthen institutions such as the police and the Judiciary that will provide accessible essential services to survivors as well as ensure an accelerated disposal of cases on Rape and SGBV.

“We will strengthen the children act, we will domesticate it, I have submitted the child act to FCE and all necessary authorities and they were happy about it, all hands all on desk to ensure we put an end to this devilish behaved, she said.