Kebbi: Women group, others condemn spate of ender-base violence

The Kebbi State wing of the Women Rights Initiative, in conjunction with the Technical Working Group have lamented the alarming rate of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

The groups said that they could not handle the situation alone hence the engagement of traditional institutions and other relevant stakeholders.

According to reports, the sensitization campaign was held at Gulumbe district, in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of the State where the groups, the traditional leaders and women organizations and other relevant stakeholders met to address the issue.

Recall that Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State had, on July 27th 2022, assented to the law against Gender-Based Violence after the State Assembly had passed the bill.

The groups maintained that “the Governor signed two bills into law, including violence Against Individuals and the Child Rights Protection Law.”

Speaking, the Executive Director, Women Rights Initiative, Mrs. Laiatu Augustina Bamaiyi explained that the groups were in the district to educate rural dwellers on GBV, especially on rape and other domestic violence.

“Already, there has been a law recently signed by the State Governor on the issue of GBV which was not only, about rape but includes other offences such as forced marriage, emotional trauma, physical abuse and many more,” she said.

In his own speech, the Kebbi State Coordinator, Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), Malam Kabiru Musa, described rape as inhumanity against a fellow being, which he said attracts life imprisonment to the culprit, apart from receiving lashes publicly on a market day.

According to him, parents, relatives, guardians or anybody covering the case or trying to protect the offender would also be prosecuted by the law.

“People should not hide under the cover of ignorance to commit heinous crimes. The best way to tackle the menace in our society is to expose the culprits,” he stated.

Musa, however, described GBV as a modern day slavery, cautioning parents and guardians against giving out their children to people to work as house girls or house maids, as well as falling prey to trafficking in persons.

On her own part, Mrs. Stella Abah, the Integrated Health Officer, USAID noted that the law signed by the State Governor was applicable to both males and females.

Also, Mrs. A’isha Umar Gwandu, who represented Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) lamented that some of the violence, especially rape were being committed by close relations.

She advised that people should report to appropriate authorities for actions to rid the society of such menace.

Responding, the District Head of Gulumbe, Alhaji Abubakar Dangaladima Gulumbe, commended the Women Rights Initiative and CSOs for choosing Gulumbe district to be the first district to host the public enlightenment program.

Dangaladima noted that all the deliberations were not far from Islamic teaching, stressing that the problems being faced in the country were not unconnected to consequences of deviating from the right path, hence the need for people to repent.