Sex offenders register rolled out in Nigeria

Sex offenders register rolled out in Nigeria

Nigerian authorities have launched a national sex offenders register in the Capital Abuja.

They held a procession in the nation’s capital to raise awareness on the fight against abuse of women in an event to mark the beginning of the globally commemorated 16 days of activism.

”While they welcomed these as steps forward, women’s rights activists and victims of gender-based violence note Nigeria has a poor record of prosecution,” VOA reported.

Statistics by the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) reveal that one in four girls in Nigeria are sexually abused before they are 18 with the rate of prosecution being very low.

According to VOA, most victims have very little hope for justice and refuse to come forward out of the fear of stigma.

One of them was forced to seek justice at a regional court which ordered that the State pay her $50,000 (Ksh. 5,135,000).

The launch of a national sex offenders register is aimed at reducing cases of sexual abuse against women and girls.

Nigeria’s Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Julie Okah-Donli says that the list of the offenders will be available to the public in what she termed as a ‘name and shame policy’.

This according to her will enable citizens to be aware of the offenders among them and keep possible victims safe.

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