Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Monday said Nigeria is leaving no stone untouched to end gender base violence in the country and is working towards the establishment of specialised courts and judicial divisions to handle GBV cases.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the AGF, Dr Umar Gwandu on Monday, Malami spoke 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, UNODC
According to the AGF, Malami last year inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Management Committee on Eradication of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence with the hope that it would serve as an important tool in helping Nigeria to address the crime.
The AGF further stated that the current administration was fully aware that giving a voice to women was an important aspect of development, even as he described women as important agents of positive change.
“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 added.
He said in partnership with UNODC as well as the European Union, the Federal Government, launched the “Nigeria Training Module on Gender Dimensions in the Criminal Justice: Response to Terrorism”.
Malami acknowledged 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.
