President Muhammadu Buhari led government has announced the
immediate inauguration of a Gender-Based Violence Management Committee.
Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice, said this in a statement sent on Thursday.
He condemned the prevalent and rising incidence of rape and
sexual assault in the country.
Malami said incidents of rape cases in the country have
increased dramatically in the last few weeks, resulting in the brutal murder of
some victims.
The statement observed that the development has sparked
outrage in Nigeria and abroad.
The minister noted the Federal Ministry of Justice has
identified with calls for national response against rape and sexual assault in
the country.
Malami said in fulfillment of the Ministry’s mandate and its
determination to urgently address this heinous crime, his office “will
immediately inaugurate an Inter-Ministerial Gender-Based Violence Management
Committee”.
He said: “The committee will include skilled officers drawn
from Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social
Development, Federal Ministry of Health, National Agency for the Prohibition of
Trafficking in Persons, National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Legal Aid
Council, Nigeria Police Force Civil Society Organisations, among others.”
The committee will be charged with proffering a synchronized
approach to address all forms of violence against women and children in the
country.
The AGF said it will review all the existing laws so as to
propose to the National Assembly necessary legislative changes to ensure that
the offences of rape and child defilement are dealt with in consonance with
international best practices.
The Centre will provide “comprehensive and appropriate
support services to ensure that victims and survivors of sexual offences are
not subjected to further stigmatization and trauma by maintaining a Sexual
Assault Referral Centre which will be domiciled in the Federal Ministry of
Justice Headquarters”.
Malami explained that the Centre will respond to immediate
Gender-Based Violence related issues and will continue to provide a rapid and
comprehensive response through prosecution of all forms of violence against
women and children.
Malami assured of speedy processing of stalled and pending
cases of rape and child defilement that got delayed due to closure of courts
and government institutions during the COVID -19 lockdown period.
He reaffirmed the policy of opposing bail and rejecting plea
bargain proposals from perpetrators of rape and child defilement.
The new policy will boost the Federal Government’s
conviction of sex offenders and ensure they “do not benefit from the power of
prerogative of mercy”.
“The Federal Ministry of Justice will, in driving these
processes bring together the 36 State’s Attorneys General to consider effective collaborative support to stem the growing tide of rape and
sexual assault”.
The statement disclosed that a meeting of the stakeholders
including the States’ Attorneys General will be carried out through a scheduled
virtual conference in due course.
Malami empathized with victims, survivors and family members
of such violence and expressed hope that new efforts will tackle “these crimes
against humanity” and ensure a better Nigeria devoid of gender-based violence.
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