Katsina referral centre records 110 cases of sexual assault
The Katsina Sexual Assault Referral Centre says it has recorded about 110 cases of sexual assault since its establishment in December 2023.
Of the cases recorded during the period, 60 have been uploaded to the Child Protection Information Management System.
Aminu Badaru-Jikamshi, the permanent secretary of the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development, disclosed this at the opening of a three-day training in Katsina on Tuesday.
The training is organised by the department in collaboration with UNICEF for stakeholders from Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina.
According to Mr Badaru-Jikamshi, the exercise aims to strengthen access to services for survivors of sexual violence (child-centred/survivor-centred approach).
He said, “This progress reflects our growing ability to document, monitor, and respond to child protection concerns with professionalism and transparency.
“We deeply value UNICEF’s continued support and partnership in this journey, as it has not only provided us with the tools and knowledge needed to serve survivors better, but also strengthened our coordination among key stakeholders in the child protection system.
“Looking ahead, we are also exploring the possibility of organising a study tour to some states that have already established and operationalised their SARC centres. This is in order to learn from their experiences and adopt best practices that will ensure the full and effective operation of our own centre here in Katsina.”
He therefore urged participants to take full advantage of the training to listen, learn, and share experiences, so that, together, “we can further strengthen access to timely, coordinated, and survivor-centered services for our children and communities”.
The permanent secretary thanked UNICEF, other partners, and participants for their unwavering commitment to building a safer environment for every child in Katsina.
Earlier, Ibrahim Sesay, Chief Child Protection, UNICEF, Abuja, represented by Pragna Chakma, a specialist, assured Nigeria of all the necessary support to end violence against children.
According to him, in 2024, the women’s affairs minister pledged Nigeria’s commitment to end violence against children, and UNICEF came in to support the government in achieving that target.
He noted that UNICEF had supported the centre by providing some essential items to enable it to operate and deliver services to its full potential.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Agriculture
Farmers seek subsidised farm inputs to boost food production in Taraba
The farmers said the high cost and limited availability of fertilisers and other essential farm inputs had become major constraints as the rainy season commenced.
Politics
Kaduna: 12,000 people defect to APC in Lere LG
Twelve thousand members of opposition political parties have defected to the All Progressives Congress in the Lere council area of Kaduna.
Anti-Corruption
LS Cable & System USA agrees to pay $4 million to resolve PPP loan fraud allegations
LS Cable & System USA has agreed to pay $4 million to the United States to resolve allegations of false claims for payments under the Paycheck Protection Programme loans.
Anti-Corruption
U.S. census official sentenced to prison for bribery, fraud
The contract was worth millions of dollars. In exchange for steering the contract and modifications, Ms Jones received kickbacks from YMJ Consulting and the subcontractor.
Anti-Corruption
Rockland Congruity to pay about $3 million over PPP loan fraud
As part of the settlement, Rockland admitted that in March 2021, it received a $1,709,099 second-draw PPP loan.
NationWide
NOA urges vigilance against Ebola threat
Ijeoma Ulasi, the deputy director and Health and Social Care Desk Officer of NOA in Enugu, made the call during a sensitisation programme on the disease in Enugu recently.
