Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule
By DANJUMA JOSEPH, Lafia –
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Prof Abdulkareem Kana, says over 50 sexual offenders have been arrested between January and April 2023, in the state.
The commissioner disclosed this during the opening ceremony of Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia, on Monday.
Prof. Kana, represented by Deputy Director, Public Defendant and Gender Based Violence in the ministry, Barrister Justina Allu, identified undue interference by relations, community and religious leaders as some of the challenges facing seamless prosecution of perpetrators of sexual assaults in the state.
Earlier, Governor Abdullahi Sule, of Nasarawa State, said government have set up the independent body to ensure accelerated prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence in the state.
Governor Sule, said cases of sexual assault especially involving under age children had been on the rise in the state, hence, the need to establish the centre to essentially provide medical, emotional and practical support for victims of sexual violence.
Represented by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Rufa’i Ibrahim, the governor said that the state government will continue to strengthen relevant agencies to ensure perpetrators of sexual violence were prosecuted without undue interference.
On her part, wife of the Nasarawa State Governor, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule while citing the case of a three month old girl who was rushed to Jos University Teaching Hospital in Plateau State, to save her life due to injuries she sustained as a result of defilement by a 40 years old man in 2021, noted that the establishment of the centre had brought relief to victims of sexual assaults to access care and treatment within the state.
Hajiya Silifat Sule pointed out that her pet Project Silifat Abdullahi Sule Hope Foundation, will work closely with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre to ensure victims of sexual violence were given adequate psycho social treatment to enable them live normal lives.
On his part, Dr Hassan Ikrama, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of DASH, expressed gratitude to the governor’s wife and the ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for establishing the centre at the facility.
The CMD said the medical facility have been handling a lot of sexually related cases in the recent years and expressed worry on the increase of assault against women and girl-child in the state.
