Adamawa: Police Officers Trained on Protection of GVB Survivors
UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has trained 25 police officers in Adamawa on the protection of Gender-Based Violence survivors during emergencies to strengthen access to justice.
The Fund’s Country Representative, Ulla Mueller, made this known at the opening of the three-day training in Yola on Wednesday, noting that the event was a capacity-building initiative meant to support the government to provide justice to survivors of GBV.
Mueller, who was represented by UNFPA’s Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Christiana Macauley, said the police remain one of the key actors in the provision of access to justice and protection of civilians, particularly the vulnerable population – women and girls.
“Though we have established a forensic laboratory to help in the collection of forensic evidence for trial of GBV cases, we believe that is not enough; and that is why we organised this training.”
According to her, the training will also be extended to Borno, Yobe and other states affected by conflict.
In her address, the Coordinator of Call to Action, Brenda Ifeanyichiku, urged participants to actively participate in successful service delivery in their respective stations.
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She said the objectives of the training are to enhance knowledge and understanding of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, provide a survivor-centred approach, equip police with practical skills and tools, as well as foster inter-agency coordination.
In his remarks, the state governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who was represented by the Adamawa Solicitor General, Mr. Samuel Yaumande, appreciated UNFPA for organising the training and urged participants to actively take part so as to be able to address the challenge of GBV in the state.
He stressed the need for stakeholders, particularly the police, lawyers and medical doctors to unite to eliminate GBV in the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Babatola Afolabi, who was represented by DCP Jonathan Modi, also thanked UNFPA for the training and gave an assurance that the police were always ready to deal with perpetrators of GBV.
He urged the public to always report cases of GBV to police and relevant authorities for justice to take its course.
A participant, ASP Asabe Haruna, described the training as “timely, in view of rising cases of GBV in the state and low conviction of suspects.”
