The ‘Nana Khadijah One Stop’ Referal Centre, established by a Non -Governmental Organisation in Sokoto to support victims of Gender-Based Violence, recorded no fewer than 471 cases in the past 18 months.
The Centre’s Coordinator, Florence Adamu, said this at a four-day EU-UN Spotlight Initiative project and training for Journalists on Ethical Reporting, Media Advocacy and Solution Journalism, on Thursday in Sokoto.
Adamu said that the centre was established under EU-UN Spotlight Initiative project and begun operations in March 2020.
She said that the centre conducted series of medical tests, feeding the survivors, providing transport fares, offered psychological counseling’s and other services.
The coordinator said out of the figure, 242 cases were recorded in 2020 and 229 from January to date, stressing that 197 survivors were minors below 18 years, while 45 survivors were adults.
She explained that 214 medical reports were prepared by the centre to aid prosecution, stressing that different stakeholders were incorporated to ensure compliance to standard procedures.
The Coordinator added that based on the records, all the perpetrators were males.
Mrs Hassana Mika’ilu, official from National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), said 151 persons were rescued from GBV abuses within the last six months.
Mika’ilu said that of the figure, 103 survivors were girls while 48 were boys,adding that abuses ranged from sexual assault, unnatural offences, child labour, and child trafficking, among others.
According to her, the agency secured seven convictions and 17 cases are pending in various courts.
She lamented that pressure and interference from highly placed personalities and politicians were part of the challenges the organisations was facing in the discharge of its responsibilities.
The Acting Permanent Secretary, Sokoto State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Kulu Nuhu, said the ministry participated in all EU-UN Spotlight Initiative Project on prevention of GBV.
She said successes had been recorded in the fight against gender violence, just as she pledged commitment of the state government in sustaining and further broadening efforts in order to reduce GBV abuses across the state.
Mr Joseph Julius, from NEEM Foundation, said they provided opportunity for further education and other empowerment supports to survivors of GBV to strengthen their capacities.
Julius stated that his organisation distributed radio sets to students during COVID-19 pandemic and trained some survivors on business skills.
Mr Pius Uwamanua, the Child Protection Specialist from UNICEF, presented a paper on GBV.
