In Three Years, 38 Sex Offenders Were Imprisoned

• Federal Government launched the national sex offenders register in 2019, 602 cases have been reported, 120 cases have been verified, 38 people have been imprisoned.

• We must reckon with the reality that violence against women is escalated by gender-based violence.

 

 

Eko Hot Blog reports that Since the Federal Government launched the national sex offenders register in 2019, 602 cases have been reported, 120 cases have been verified, 38 people have been convicted, and 359 service providers have been registered, according to Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director of Women Rights Advocates Research and Documentation Centre.

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The SOR, she claims, set up a database for service providers and those convicted of sexual violence in order to crack down on abusers.

These were stated by Akiyode-Afolabi in her keynote speech in Abuja at the launch of the ‘Gender-Based Violence Reporting Handbook,’ which was written by a civil rights organization, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.

According to the author, the handbook aims to equip journalists and newsrooms with the necessary skills to tell gender-based violence stories in transformative and effective ways.

While lamenting that the media has been unable to change the narrative in the public reporting of GBV, stakeholders raised new concerns about the prevalence of GBV in Nigeria, stating that while violence against children remained endemic in Nigeria, children who are pushed into the streets for survival were the worst victims of child sexual abuse.

Other participants at the event included Dr. Ganiat Tijani-Adenle, a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication at Lagos State University, Ojo; Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism; Ibim Semenitari, a former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State; and Dr. Tobi Oluwatola, Executive Director of CJID.

She said, “We must reckon with the reality that violence against women is escalated by gender-based violence. The sexual offenders and service provider register was launched in 2019 setting up a database for service providers and those convicted for sexual violence to clamp down on abusers.

“The register is available online to better help the public, state bodies and police conduct background checks and identify offenders. In the national sex offenders register, 602 cases have reported, 120 cases verified, 38 cases convicted and 359 service providers registered. Sexual assault referral centres commonly known as SARCs have been established in 18 states to provide crucial services for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.

“Other measures include the launch of a call centre to attend to reports of gender-based violence. In addition, Bauchi State launched the costed Model Action Plan for the implementation of the VAPP and the sum of N3.7 billion has been earmarked for implementation.

“Another perspective to GBV is violence against children which is endemic in Nigeria. child sexual abuse is prevalent, but children who are pushed into the streets for survival are the worst hit.”

Oluwatola said, “It is our responsibility to educate and strengthen the media, give the media the rich sources it requires to do its job better in demanding accountability so that we can build democracy and deliver the values of sustainable development.”

Tijani-Adenle found it interesting that CJID had chosen to launch the handbook on March 8, international women’s day, which is observed around the world to celebrate women’s achievements and advocate for their rights.

“The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,’ according to the LASU don, with a campaign to #BreakTheBias.” Unfortunately, women in Nigeria and West Africa face a more dangerous challenge; they must break the tenacious cycle of gender-based violence meted out to them in their homes, communities, schools, religious houses, workplaces, from people in authority who are supposed to protect them, and from the criminals that terrorism and insecurity have bred on the subcontinent.

“Now, the gems in this handbook are not meant to aid the media in helping only women surmount gender-based violence, as men also experience gender-based violence – but there is unanimous agreement that women/girls and children experience GBV at an alarmingly high proportion, compared to men.

“The focus of the handbook, therefore, is on women, without discounting the various ways that the Nigerian culture undermine the silent struggles of men due to the expectations that they are ‘strong’ and should not be vulnerable to abuse or violence.”

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