Rivers State Government has opened a “safe home” for victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

The “safe home” is a house that provides shelter for victims of domestic violence and helps the victim to access justice, medical reference and reintegrate them into society. 

State Governor, Nyesom Wike, during the commissioning of the safe home at Borikiri in Port Harcourt City on Wednesday, said the home is also open to abused males.

Mr Wike said, “so, Let us not think that it is only for women. It is also for young boys who are also assaulted so that they can also have some psychological debriefing.”

The governor chided governments who forget to include the vulnerable people in their programmes, but only focus on infrastructural development.

“We are only interested in constructing roads.” We are only interested in constructing schools, hospitals and the rest of it. 

“But one important aspect that the government forgets is the less privileged, the vulnerable.  

“We do not think that we owe them that duty to also protect them. It is key that every government should take this as a special project, ” Mr Wike said.

Inemi Aguma, the commissioner of social welfare and rehabilitation, disclosed that the function of the facility is to provide victims of domestic violence with access to justice, shelter, medical reference and prepare them for reintegration into society.

According to Ms Aguma, “the facility provides the much needed institutional and administrative support for the Rivers State Child Rights Law 2009 and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law 2020.

“A holistic centre to provide infrastructure for children in need of protective custody and persons who have suffered violence especially domestic violence.”

She applauded the governor for the provision of the home which has no counterpart in the country.

“Your Excellency, you have taken the lead in the provision of social welfare infrastructure in Nigeria as no State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria has a safety net of this magnitude, providing in one complex: justice, shelter, counselling, legal aid, and aftercare.”

The Gazette learnt the facility consists of a two-storey administrative building, two-storey safe home building, an ensuite safe home block and service building with two courtrooms, offices for judge’s legal assistant and secretary,  creche, family-friendly witness and waiting room.

Amid the first phase of COVID-19 lockdown, dozens of women and girls in Rivers State who were sexually and emotionally abused were locked down with their abusers in the same place. 

The situation increased the number of sexual and gender-based violence in the state.

Statistics from the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in the state showed cases of gender and sexual-based violence were higher due to lack of a “safe home” as victims are forced to live with their abusers.

Several activists have long called the state government to provide a safe home for the abused. 

Women activists applaud the state governor for heeding the call with the newly established home.