Women’s Rights Group Trains 25 Police Officers On GBV Laws In Edo

By Idahosa Musa

In its avowed determination to strengthen the implementation of laws on Gender-based Violence (GBV) and improve access to justice for survivors in Edo State, the Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), has held a two-day training for 25 police officers in the State.

The workshop also aimed at enhancing the investigative and prosecutorial capacity of law enforcement officers in handling Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) cases was held in collaboration with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC II).

The training brought together police personnel from three Area Commands across Uhumwonde, Ovia North-East, and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas in Edo

Addressing the participants, Bose Ironsi, Executive Director of WRAHP and lead facilitator, said that the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey have shown that 33% of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence.

She stated that lack of access to justice for survivors is a critical human rights concern, hence, the need for urgent and improved GBV response in Nigeria.

“Justice remains elusive for many survivors due to weak investigative and prosecutorial responses.

“By equipping police officers—our first responders—with the right tools and knowledge, we take a vital step towards building a compassionate and coordinated justice system.

“We know that the police has a critical role to play, that is why we say we should build their capacity. We know that no one person can achieve it, except you carry everybody along. So that is what we are  doing, to make sure the police are trained.

“We are working with the community people. They will be able to give information on the report. Some groups are training the judiciary on the same issue, so that is why we are here”, she said.

Ironsi highlighted that the training formed part of WRAHP’s broader intervention, scaling up Access to Justice-related Social Services for Women and Girls Survivors of Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Lagos and Edo States, facilitated through its Ireti Resource Centre.

In her remarks, the State Coordinator of RoLAC,  Uchenna Uwokechi, disclosed that the workshop was expected to train the 25 police officers in Edo, who will in turn train others.

Addressing the participants, the Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Monday Agbonica, advised that survivors must not be allowed to go back to where they were abused to save them from psychological trauma.

He said police have role to play to curb the issue of gender and sexual based violences in Edo state and Nigeria in general.

Delivering a lecture on Gender and Social based Violences, the former Chairperson of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA ) in Edo, Stella Ojeme Esq, urged the police to always carryout proper investigation when sexual assaults are reported.

Speaking on her experience, one of the police officers, CSP Mabel Airen, from Ikpoba-Hill Area Command, said the lecture had impacted more knowledge on her.

Issues such as prolonged court proceedings, corruption within the police ranks, ‘order from above’ and culture of plea bargain which the participants identified as root causes of Impunity and barriers to justice and undermine survivor’s advocacy and investigations were addressed during the training.