• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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BusinessDay

Special courts underway to try rape, gender based violence offenders

Abubakar Malami
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Thursday said plans are in the offing to establish specialized courts for speedy trial of rape and gender based violence in the country.
He said the specialized courts when established will necessarily create a timely and speedy trial of pending and incoming rape and other gender based cases and facilitate their conclusion within record time.
Malami, who gave this hint in Abuja while speaking during a rally on Support for Spotlighting the Eradication of Rape and Other Related Violence in Nigeria, led by the executive secretary, Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Tony Ojukwu, said his office has commenced the review of all existing laws and policy instruments relating to offences of rape, child defilement and gender based violence in the country for necessary action.
The AGF also said that his ministry is engaging with the heads of courts to ensure that the idea comes to fruition in no distant time.
’’The special courts when established will create a timely  and speedy trial of all pending and incoming rape and other related gender based cases and facilitate their conclusion within record time’’ he said.
Malami added that efforts are being put in place to introduce a sexual offenders registrar in various police formations and other security agencies in the country as part of efforts to fast track the fight against rape and other gender based violence in the country.
’’Further to this, this office has therefore constituted an Inter-Ministerial Management Committee on the eradication of gender based violence’’ he echoed.
The Executive Secretary, NHRC, Dr. Ojukwu at the event said that his agency will not  allow any case of rape and other gender based violence in the country to be swept under the carpet.