Hajiya Aishatu Ahmad-Kaoje, the Director Public Prosecution (DPP), Sokoto State Ministry for Justice, on Tuesday assured that the ministry would strengthen collaboration with Gender Based Violence (GBV) response teams to track GBV cases for prosecution.
Ahmad-Kaoje gave the assurance in Sokoto during the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative Project quarterly coordination meeting on ending GBV, organised in collaboration with the Ministry for Women and Children Affairs.
The Spotlight Initiative project is a global multi-year partnership between the EU and UN to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, focusing on sexual and GBV and Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs).
She expressed the ministry’s readiness to receive cases from response teams established in communities across local government areas, to ensure prompt prosecution of cases.
According to her, necessary ingredients were needed to prove sexual abuse and other violence cases, as such evidences should be carefully comfiled in order to secure convictions.
The Waziri of Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Wali-Junaidu, who represented Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’id Abubakar, reiterated the commitment of the Sultanate Council towards ensuring justice for survivors of all forms of gender based violence in state.
Wali-Junaidu reaffirmed that any traditional leader found supporting, conniving and obstructing investigation or hiding perpetrator of GBV would be dethroned.
“We will ensure adequate punitive measure for any traditional title holder who tries to truncate or hide perpetrator of violence against women and girls,’’ he said.
Also speaking, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist in Sokoto, Mr Pius Uwamanua, said the objective of the meeting was to strengthen collaboration towards ending GBV in the state.
“It is also to upgrade and review EU-UN Spotlight Initiative activity, progress reports toward ending violence against women and Children in the state”.
The Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hajiya Kulu Sifawa, said the ministry was determined to ensure that women and children in the state are safe.
The commissioner thanked international donors, MDAs, community and religious leaders, CSOs as well as the media for their continued support without which the successes recorded would not have been possible.
Also, UNICEF Chief of Sokoto Field Office, Mr Muhammadeen Fall, noted that collective effort was required between stakeholders in order to address the alarming rise of cases of violence against women and girls in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that activities of CSOs and government agencies were reviewed and committees established to pursue enactment of Child Protection Law in the state, among others. (NAN)
