National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has commenced three-day training
for 30 FCT police officers on how to handle cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Abuja.
The training, which opened on Wednesday, was aimed at enhancing the efforts of the Police Gender Desk officers and
prosecutors in the prevention and effective prosecution of SGBV matters in the FCT.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, said during the training that it was imperative for law enforcement officers to understand the relevant laws, protocols and investigative techniques to SGBV cases.
She said that investing in comprehensive training for police officers in handling cases of SGBV was essential for accountability, preventing further victimisation and advancing justice for survivors.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police officers selected were basically from the Dender Desk of Nigeria Police Force.
NAN also reports that the training is being carried out with the partnership of the Justice Research Institute (JRI), funded by Ford Foundation, an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO).
Waziri-Azi said “as the implementing agency for the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, 2015 in the FCT, NAPTIP has been collaborating and would continue to collaborate with the Nigeria Police to ensure that incidences of domestic and sexual violence are reduced.
“The training is to strengthen the capacity of police and prevent SGBV cases in Nigeria. In May 2022, 40 police officers were trained in this manner, as capacity building ought to be done consistently because there is need for training and retraining.
“A standard operating procedure to deal with SGBV will be presented today. A portal has already been designed to serve as guide in handling SGBV matters, although prosecutors were not included in the previous training.
“The work of prosecutors starts where investigation stops, as SGBV is a problem across Nigeria.”
Waziri-Azi also disclosed that the training would involve judges, who would take the trainees on how to present cases in court.
The NAPTIP boss said that the agency received about 200,000 SGBV complaints in 2023, including physical injury, and five convictions were secured.
The director-general, however, dwelled on collaboration, adding that some of the achievements of NAPTIP in the fight against human trafficking and SGBV were made possible through collaboration.
She explained that the agency had begun to see an alignment of the criminal justice system as a result of collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.
Earlier, Mr Ikem Isiekwena, the Executive Director, JRI, said the training was one of the outcomes of projects targeted at strengthening the capacity of police to effectively respond to violence against women and girls.
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According to Isiekwena, the training will help police officers to focus on the needs and well-being of survivors.
He noted that the approach prioritises the safety, dignity and rights of survivors throughout the investigation and legal process.
“Resources developed by the project were formally presented and they include training manual on preventing, responding and prosecuting SGBV cases and standard operating procedure on such cases,” he said. (NAN)
