NHRC panel commences inquest into 119 cases of gender-based violence in Abuja, other states

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday, February 8, said its panel had commenced sittings on 119 sexual and gender-based violence in seven states and Abuja.

This was contained in a statement issued by the NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, at the opening session of the Special Investigation Panel on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) organised by the commission in Ikeja, Lagos for South-West zone.

Ojukwu said that the second round of sitting on SGBV in the wake of a resurging pandemic was unique, because of the astronomical rise in the case of SGBV.

According to him, it has been described as a shadow pandemic by the UN.

READ ALSO: #ENDSARS: NHRC’s panel suspends proceedings over COVID-19

“The commission is vested with the power to investigate all alleged cases of human rights violations, monitor developments in various thematic areas of human rights, and assist victims of human rights violations through appropriate awards and compensations.

“The sitting will afford the panelist, the parties, and members of the general public the opportunity to address issues of the pandemic-induced and other SGBV cases from a realistic perspective.

“In this round, the panel which has already sat in Enugu shall also be sitting here in Lagos as well as Ebonyi, Cross-Rivers, Rivers, Sokoto, Adamawa, and Abuja.

“During this period, a total of 119 cases received had been slated for consideration,” Ojukwu, represented by Mr Abdurahman Yakubu, the Director, Civil and Political Rights Department, said.

According to him, the breakdown shows that Enugu has 28 cases; Lagos (15); Ebonyi (12); Cross Rivers (9); Rivers (16); Sokoto (7); Adamawa (4), and Abuja (27).

Ojukwu said in the first round of sittings before the COVID-19 lockdown, the panel received 113 complaints across the six geo-political zones, adding that landmark success was recorded during the hearing.

He said that the office of the Vice President’s request to the commission to take immediate steps to arrest the scourge of SGBV in the society and make recommendations to the government informed the constitution of the panel.

Ojukwu said that members of the panel were carefully selected to represent diverse interests of the society, which include NHRC as the Chairman and Secretariat, the Academia, Gender, Experts, civil society, and professional groups.

The NHRC said that the panel would work with consultants who would bring professional expertise in the field of SGBV to bear on the proceedings and reports of the panel.

According to him, part of the panel’s terms of reference is to identify victims of violation and abuse and ensure adequate remedy to them and accountability for the violations.

He commended the NHRC for its efforts to stamp out the menace.

Ripples Nigeria had reported in 2019 that the commission unveiled the panel of investigation to examine the prevailing human rights abuses and recommend appropriate disciplinary measures.

The EU-UN Spotlight Initiative is targeted at eliminating violence against women and girls.

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