A/Ibom court jails 15 suspects over gender based violence

The Akwa Ibom state government has secured different jail terms for 15 offenders of gender based violence in the state.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Women Affairs, Dr. Glory Edet announced this in Uyo during a one-day enlightenment campaign with the theme: “Fight against gender based violence.”

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The commissioner revealed that the ministry in 2018 established a gender based violence prevention and response centre with a toll free line number and desk officers to attend to gender based violence survivors who call to report cases for intervention.

“A synergy was equally, established by the ministry among different service providers in the humanitarian sector for proper coordination, experience sharing, data validation and management as well as referrals for the sole purpose of stemming the tide of gender based violence in the state.

“In view of the foregoing, let me use this forum to announce to everyone that over 15 judgements have been secured in the court and the offenders are serving different jail terms in prison,” she said.

Edet, who commended the governor for declaring zero tolerance for cultism and violence in the state, however, identified complicity by some security agencies and compromise by survivors as the major challenge working against efforts to tackle the menace, which has become a global phenomenon.

She therefore, called on parents, caregivers, teachers, school authorities, community and religious leaders, security agencies and well-meaning individuals to cooperate with her ministry in the fight to make the state violence free by speaking out.

“The greatest challenge to the fight against gender based violence is complicity by some security agencies who release offenders without charging them to court, as well as compromise by survivors and their families who go behind to collect money from the perpetrators of the crime and settle out of court.

“The ministry seriously frowns at such acts because they make our efforts unfruitful and the ministry will continue to prosecute all those who connive with gender based violence culprits to abort the efforts of the state government in combating crime.

“I equally, thank some security agencies who have been joining hands with the ministry to fight gender based violence,” she added

Speaking on the topic:”Sexual exploitation and abuse” Director, Centre for Gender Studies, University of Uyo, Dr. Ukpong Udofia, pointed out that though both women and men experience gender based violence, but majority of the victims are women and girls.