SGBV: NHRC pledges commitment to train law enforcement officials

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has reiterated commitment to address Sexual and Gender-Based
Violence (SGBV) through continuous sensitisation and training of law enforcement officials.

Mrs Yemisi Akhile, the Deputy Director, Legal, Lagos State office of NHRC, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
on Tuesday in Lagos.

Akhile said that the commission would continue to address issues of SGBV through continuous public sensitisation, as well as protection and empowerment for survivors.

On the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), she said NHRC had done a lot of advocacy through sensitisation and training programmes.

According to Akhile, most of the complaints received by the commission are criminal in nature.

She added that even though the commission does not have the mandate to investigate criminal matters, it has the jurisdiction to ensure that the right authorities, such as the police, investigate such cases.

The deputy director explained that NHRC had continuous training for law enforcement officials to enhance their capacity in handling SGBV cases.

She said the training was to educate enforcement officers about current legal knowledge and best practices in investigating SGBV cases.

“The officers need to know how to interview survivors to ensure that they are not harassed or made to feel ashamed as if they are the ones that committed the crime.

“Survivors should be ready and comfortable to assist in the prosecution of the matter, especially in rape cases which is associated with stigma and shame.”

She said the commission would continue to beam its investigation on the justice system to ensure no travesty of justice in reported cases.

According to her, the commission does follow up on survivors after they have been referred to the police to ensure they are not being exploited.

She urged Nigerians to support one another by reaching out to NHRC and other law enforcement agencies if they felt the rights of someone was being violated.

“Don’t turn a blind eye to things that are going wrong, you should always stand up for justice and stand up for human rights,” she said.

NAN reports that members of staff of the commission went on a walk from the state office to Lagos Television to create awareness and reiterate stand for zero tolerance to SGBV.

The walk was part of the commission’s activities to mark the theme of 2024, “16 Days of Activism Against GBV, a global campaign that is meant to run from Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, until Dec. 10, which is Human Rights Day.

The theme of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is “Disarm to Empower: Stop the Silence, End Gender-Based Violence”, which
focuses on the dangerous intersection of gender-based violence (GBV) and gun violence.