Nigeria records 401 Gender Based Violence related deaths in 2022 – FG
By Ukpono Ukpong
The Federal Government has said that no fewer than 401 women lost their lives due to Gender Based Violence (GBV), in 2022.
Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, disclosed this on Thursday when he featured at the Ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tallen said as at 22nd November, available records on the National Situation Room and Data Dashboard for Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Nigeria showed that the total reported cases of GBV stood at 11,053.
She said that of the total reported cases, 592 cases have been closed while 3,507 cases are still open and 33 perpetrators have been convicted.
As parts of the milestone recorded by the ministry during her tenure, she said that 32 States have domesticated the Child Rights Acts as against 23 in 2019.
“The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015) has been domesticated in 34 States as against 13 in 2019. Signing of 7 point agenda on ending violence against children.
“Upscaled advocacy around the need for States to replicate the National Sex Offenders Register and Referral.”
She said that the launch of the National Situation Room and Data Dashboard for Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Nigeria with the Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed in collaboration with UNDP under the UN/EU Spotlight initiative has led to the improvement and availability of GBV Data in the Country.
Reacting to the news of Aisha Binani’s victory at the Court of Appeal in Yola, as the Adamawa State governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), she said described the court ruling as victory for the women folk.
She said with the latest development, Binani may become the first democratically elected female governor in the country.
According to Tallen, women are now poised to spearhead her campaigns to ensure victory for the candidate and her party.
Reacting to the court ruling, Tallen said: “I knew that we will make it. Today is a day that we are going to celebrate. From here we are moving to the house. We will move to the streets and match. And watch what will happen in Adamawa.
“We will lead the campaign, Adamawa women already are fully mobilized, they have said that if she’s not given her mandate, they will not come out to contest or vote in any election.
“Nigerian women are fully behind her because throughout last night we did vigil, we have been praying and fasting on this matter and God answered our prayers. Because, this is a test case, is not that we don’t have capable women.
“They did it for me in 2011, they did it for late Mama Taraba and I vowed under my stewardship, Lord, wipe my tears and God answered my prayers. This is a success story to Buhari’s administration. President Buhari will be the first president to inaugurate a woman as a female governor.
“Senator Aisha Binani’s case is an election that is already won because, Adamawa people have spoken. The President of National Council of Women Society is from Adamawa, we are monitoring what is happening.
“I am happy. This is good news for Nigerian women. I am from Plateau, I wish I can vote in Adamawa, I would have moved to Adamawa to vote for her. But I am that it’s not just women from Adamawa, men, youths are crying for a change and they will see by the time Binani gets into office the difference will be clear.
“She has been tested as a member of House of Representatives. Go to her constituency, as a senator not only in her senatorial zone, Adamawa people have told me that she handled the empowerment of women, youths, elderly, giving out scholarships. This lady deserves to be supported. Her victory during the primaries was a landslide victory. I thank God she won the case.
“This is answered prayers of Nigerian women. Whoever told you women don’t like one another is not true.”
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The Court of Appeal in Yola on Thursday upheld the governorship candidacy of All Progressives Congress candidates, Emmanuel Bwacha and Aishatu Ahmed also known as Aisha Binani for Taraba and Adamawa states respectively.
The Appeal Court set aside a ruling by the High Court nullifying their candidacy and ordered that their names be forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the APC governorship candidates for both states.
In the court’s sitting presided over by a panel of three justices of the Court of Appeal, which had justice T. Y Hassan as the presiding judge and two others, Judge M. O. Bolaji and J. G. Abundaga, as JCA 1 and JCA 2.
The Federal High Court in Yola, Adamawa State, had on October 13, nullified the candidature of Binani as the governorship candidate of the APC in the state.
