Nigerian government must wake up to its responsibility of protecting the lives of vulnerable and marginalised groups, particularly women.
A human and education rights group under the umbrella of the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned in strongest terms the killing of the Labour Party Women Leader, Victoria Chintex in the Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
CHRICED in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, to commemorate this year’s #16DaysofActivism, decried the killings and political violence going on in Nigeria in the build-up to the 2023 general elections.
He, therefore, called for decisive action to end gender-based violence in Nigeria.
According to CHRICED, while civil society organisations are working hard to raise awareness about how women can avoid becoming victims of aggressors who unleash violence against them, the Nigerian government must wake up to its responsibility of protecting the lives of vulnerable and marginalised groups, particularly women.
The group said, “The recent gruesome killing of a state women leader of the Labour Party in Kaduna State exemplifies this wave of violence against women in the political process. CHRICED strongly condemns this killing and calls on law enforcement agencies to get to the root of this murder, apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
“As front-line human rights think tank implementing various projects, which have components focusing on the rights of women, CHRICED is in close touch with thousands of women who bear the brunt of all shades of violence, which violate their rights, impede their potential, and prevent them from using their talents to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“Through various initiatives, CHRICED and its partners have been able to contribute to addressing scores of cases, especially cases of rape, domestic violence, abandonment, and discrimination against women.
“However, notwithstanding the milestones recorded by CHRICED and other CSOs, major challenges remain in the area of getting justice for women whose rights have been violated by aggressors who unleash violence on them,” it said.
CHRICED maintained that beginning from the police, which are the leading institution to act as the first responder to violence against women and girls, the right attitude and the commitment to investigate, prosecute and bring perpetrators to justice are non-existent.
It pointed out that Women who are victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are frequently subjected to dehumanisation and derogatory profiling, adding that the group has documented instances in which victims of SGBV were asked to make payments before a police case file could be opened for them.
The group said there have been other unacceptable situations in which law enforcement officers would request transport fares in order to arrest a perpetrator of violence.
It said, “The above reality points to a situation in which the state and its institutions fail to protect the rights of vulnerable women, particularly those who are poor and socially marginalized. CHRICED is concerned about this situation because it violates Section 17(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that the "State social order is founded on the ideals of Freedom, Equality, and Justice."
“Section 17(2a and b) of the Constitution states that ‘every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligations, and opportunities before the law,’ and that ‘the sanctity of the human person shall be recognized, and human dignity shall be preserved and enhanced.’
“Therefore, CHRICED calls on the government and governance actors to give meaning and life to the words enshrined in the nation's constitution, as well as the provisions against gender-based violence in all other extant laws and international instruments.
“This is a clarion call to institutions such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministries and Departments charged with women affairs at the federal, state, and local government levels, the National Human Rights Commission, the courts, and all other agencies concerned to develop and implement policies and laws to end violence and discrimination against women in Nigeria.”