By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
An international police advisor and advocate against Gender-Based Violence, Elizabeth MacLeod, has urged society to take a stand against sexual violence.
Speaking at a one-day seminar organized by the Borno Police Command, MacLeod emphasized the importance of exposing and punishing perpetrators of sexual violence.
“The time has come for us to break the silence on sexual violence and ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” MacLeod said. “It is only by working together that we can create a safer and more just society for all.”
MacLeod, who is also the facilitator of the British High Commission-funded program, “Lake Chad Basin Support Framework,” cited Angela Jolie, an American legislator, who said, “On the issue of sexual violence, the shame is on the abusers, not the survivors.”
The seminar, which was attended by community stakeholders from various groups, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), and community-based organizations, aimed to raise awareness about sexual violence and promote community involvement in preventing and responding to such incidents.
MacLeod noted that there are two essential things that need to be reckoned with and recognized always: breaking the silence about sexual violence, especially rape and girl child abuse, and recognizing that communities are the police and the police are the community.
“In Nigeria, it is time for us to break the silence and expose sexual violence perpetrators,” MacLeod said. “We must work together to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and face the full wrath of the law.”
Lead Trainer of the seminar program and 2IC MOPOL 6, NPF, Borno State, CSP S. S. Jaafaru, emphasized the need for a secured environment and community. He noted that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) cannot achieve this alone and requires the support and trust of the community.
Jaafaru charged community leaders, religious leaders, youths, women leaders, and ethnic and student leaders to build trust and confidence among their members and cooperate with the NPF. He highlighted the importance of meaningful intelligence from the community, built on trust and confidence.
Jaafaru also stressed that the police have certain qualities, duties, and ways of operating, including punctuality, obedience, loyalty, integrity, courtesy, and efficiency.
Inspector Lydia Jeremiah, SGBV Advocate and Officer, NPF Ibrahim Taiwo Command, spoke on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), its consequences, and understanding SGBV. She highlighted various types of SGBV, including harassment, stigmatization, molestation, segregation, child marriage, illiteracy, and lack of legal support.
Jeremiah also discussed how to deal with SGBV survivors, the impact of SGBV on survivors, and the rights of suspects. She emphasized the importance of best practices in interrogations, gathering information and evidence, and handling professional documents.
The Borno State Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Ahmed Mohammed Bello, explained that the community stakeholders seminar aimed to enhance professionalism in police operations following over a decade of insurgency. He noted that the police have re-strategized and expanded their activities in all 27 LGAs of the state, creating a Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Desk with trained officers.
DCP Bello urged community leaders and the public to support and cooperate with the police, providing useful information about suspicious elements and reporting complaints to the Police Public Relations Desk for prompt attention.
