A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Al-Wadata Lifeline Initiative, has called for the implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act to punish perpetrators and create a safe space for women to thrive.
Speaking at a media dialogue organised by the group and supported by Plan International through its Aspire Project to amplify voices to implement the law, the Chief Magistrate of Dass, Amina Garuba who was a resource person, attributed the increasing rate of violation of person rights to low awareness of the legislation.
According to her, Bauchi State is among the states with the highest prevalence rates of forced marriage in Nigeria, with over 60 percent of girls married before 18 (Girls Not Brides, 2023). Garuba added that the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS, 2018) indicates that 43 percent of girls are married before the age of 18, with 17 percent married before 15.
She linked the contributing factors to poverty, cultural norms, lack of education, and weak law enforcement.
The Chief Magistrate said the crime has negatively impacted the health, denial of educational opportunities, economic dependency, exposure to domestic violence, and psychological trauma of the victims.
Also, the Executive Director, Al-Wadata Lifeline Initiative, Mrs. Winifred Yusuf, said that the organisation was disturbed by the prevalence of the violence despite the enactment of VAPP law but its lack of implementation seemed to be encouraging perpetrators to wage war against the weaker population.
Yusuf explained that her organisation in collaboration with Plan International with support from Global Affairs Canada is calling for adequate sensitisation of the public through the mainstream and social media platforms to curb violence against persons.
“We want full enforcement of existing laws like Child Rights Act, VAPP law and Penal Codes with specific attention on forced marriage. We have stakeholders like the Police, Civil Defence Corps, Shariah Commission, Christian Association of Nigeria, Civil Society Organisations, and the media to discuss how we can prevent the lives of our adolescent girls from being ruined.”
