By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
The Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Justice Network, has called on the Benue State Government to establish special courts for SGBV cases.
The Senior Legal Officer at Lawyers Alert, Solumtochukwu Ozobulu, made the call during her opening remarks at a dialogue organised by SGBV Justice Network Cluster with support from USAID-Scale Project on Sunday in Makurdi.
Ozobulu said that if the courts were established it would go a long way to protect the vulnerable in the state, saying that their absence had been causing the delay in the quick dispensation of the SGBV cases.
She also said that the Sexual and Assault Referral Centre (SARC) should be established for victims as well as survivors of SGBV in the state, SARC should be included in the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAAPL), and a trust fund to aid implementation should also be put in place.
“The government should establish a monitoring committee domiciled in the Ministry of Women Affairs and a GBV Coordinator to be appointed as required by the VAPPL.
“Private sectors to support the work towards increasing access to justice for survivors of violence especially as it relates to operationalizing the established SARC in the state.
The state Chairperson of Nigeria League of Women Voters (NILOWV), Mrs Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, lamented that the VAAPL had a lot of gaps, stressing that there was no provision for SARC in the law.
The Director-General, Radio Benue, Dr Charles Iornumbe, appealed to men to have self control especially when it come to sex in order to reduce the rate of sexual assaults in the state.
The Secretary, Nigeria Bar Association, Makurdi branch, Barr Joseph Gbaigyo, appealed to people of conscience to rise and protect the female gender against SGBV.
