The Federal Government has expressed its commitment to provide access to justice for vulnerable children in the country.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), said yesterday that the federal government amongst others would establish special court to try cases of rape and gender related offences.

Malami spoke at the launch of the EU-UNICEF Access to Justice Programme that is targeted at children on the move and other vulnerable children.

The programme, which was organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in collaboration with Nigeria Police Force and the UNICEF, was sponsored by the National Human Rights Commission, the Buni Yadi Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the Nigerian Bar Association, the University of Abuja and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes

Malami said:

This administration will continue to do its best in the protection of the rights of children and vulnerable persons. Recently, at a function together with the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, (NHRC), Mr. Tony Ojukwu, I disclosed that my office is currently engaging with respective heads of courts to establish specialised courts for the speedy and seamless trial of Rape/Gender-Based Violence Offences in the country.

The move, according to the minister, would fast track such cases and result in justice for child victims of sexual violence.

Malami, who was represented by Special Assistant to the President on Research and Special Duties, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Professor Mohammed Ahmadu, remarked millions of children in Africa and around the world are molested every day.

They are denied access to school, health care and social benefits, unduly separated from their families, and affected by exploitation, abuse and violence in their homes and communities.

Everywhere, groups of children are being left behind as victims of prejudice and discrimination,

Malami said.

He identified children born into poverty as the most vulnerable as well as children in detention, children on the street and children with disabilities.

He also lamented that only a fraction of children whose rights were violated would come forward and seek redress and explained that the project’s overall objective would improve children’s access to child-friendly justice through age and gender-sensitive juvenile justice mechanisms and alternatives detention for children on the move and vulnerable children in Nigeria.

In a goodwill message, the Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Sagir Umar, stated that the inauguration of the project is apt taken into consideration the high rate/number of out of school/children on the move and other vulnerable ones.

Umar disclosed that statistics has shown about two years ago 3. 2 million out of school children were wondering about, some of them are hawkers, beggars, truants and drug addicts etc.

In 2018, 1,142 cases were reported at Waraka SARC, while in 2019 741 cases were received and only 194 were disposed of because of the high demand nature of proving the offence and stigma associated with offence.

Poverty and lack of awareness on parents are other factors. This year the center received 57 and 68 cases of GBV in April and May respectively,

said the chief justice who was represented by Justice Maryam Sabo.

The chief justice, however, urged the government to strategise more on women empowerment and to make it a policy all over the country.

Umar also called for the revamping of the nation’s educational sector, especially the basic education, to enable all children to have access to education as their fundamental rights.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.