By Deborah Onyofufeke
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad on Monday charged judges to utilize the relevant laws in tackling the menace of the rising violence against women in Nigeria

Justice Muhammad added that it is of utmost importance to reduce the rate of sexual assault, human trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence in the country

The CJN stated this at a two-day capacity-building workshop of the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN) held in Abuja.

The program was organized in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI) with the theme “Inclusivity and Access to Justice: Sustaining Public Confidence in the Judicial System,”

Vol 3 Edition 61

He said,” As many laws, which includes the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act, 2015 provide a legislative and legal framework for prevention of all forms of violence against vulnerable persons, especially women and children, which I believe should be strictly enforced in the course of your adjudicatory duties.

“This will aid in reducing domestic violence as well as general societal violence, which is quickly becoming a trend in the recent day Nigeria.”

He stated further that given the enormous difficulties that stakeholders are currently facing, reducing the rate of sexual assault, human trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence became imperative.

Also speaking, the NJI’s administrator, Justice Salisu Abdullahi, decried daily reports on the rise, in the number of cases of violence against women in Nigeria.

Operators sound the alarm bell: Fuel queues may soon return

According to NJI’s administrator, the inhumane offense of sexual violence against women often undermines the victim’s sense of self-worth and self-esteem and therefore urged the stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice to be effective and alive to their responsibilities in securing a conviction against offenders.

In her remarks, the president of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJN), Justice Jummai Hannatu Sankey told participants that for effective adjudication of sexual-based violence all stakeholders must be involved.

Justice Hannatu subsequently called for synergy among the stakeholders to curb the rising and rid the society of sexual and gender-based violence.

NAWJN has therefore charged the police who are at the bottom of the adjudication pyramid to brace up, saying they are essential in the success of the trial in cases of sexual assault.