dRPC sensitise communities on acceptance of 35 survivors of GBV in Niger state. 

dRPC sensitise communities on acceptance of 35 survivors of GBV in Niger state.

From Our Correspondent

The Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) has sensitised communities on the need to accept and support 35 survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Niger State.

The Executive Director of dRPC, Dr Judith-Ann Walker, made the call at a one-day sensiststaion workshop under the muslim opinion leaders project on the prevention of GBV for community and religious leaders, spouses and families of the 35 victims of banditry in Minna.

The workshop, organised in collaboration with the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) and supported by the Ford Foundation, aimed to promote the rights of survivors for reparation and reintegration into their communities.

Walker, represented by Malam Hassan Aliyu-Karofi, Director of Partnerships and

Communication, dRPC, added that the workshop also aimed to sensitised communities on the need to accept survivors and support survivors and support them reintegrate into their communities.

She said the workshop adopted the Kinshasha declaration protocol to promote the rights of survivors for reparation.

He said the Kinshasha declaration protocol also promote co-create solution for survivors and victims of conflict-related sexual and gender based violence in Niger state.

Also speaking, Dr Umar Farouq  Bahago, Emir of Minna, urged communities to accept survivors of abduction and gender-Based Violence (GBV), rather than stigmasting them.

Faruq Bahago, represented by the Mabudin Minna, Alhaji Abubakar Yakubu, emphasised the need for communities to provide psychological, social and financial support to survivors to help them reintegrate into their families and communities.

 “Support these survivors of GBV reintegrate psychologically, socially and financially and equipped them to return to their families and I commended timely gesture of the organisers,” he said.

According to him, about four emirates councils which are Shiroro, Munya, Paikoro and Bosso were affected to cases of kidnapping, resulting to GBV, leading to abduction of several women among whom are the recent 35 rescued women

Keynote speaker, Imam Isah, quoted Qur’anic verses and Hadeeth, which prohibit stigmatisation of survivors and urged communities to abide by their religious guidance in treating survivors of GBV.

Also speaking, Dr Umar Faruq, Director General of Niger state Religious Affairs, represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Mukhtar, called on stakeholders to continue to preach against the stigmatisation of survivors.

In his remarks, Chairman of Shiroro Local Government, Alhaji Akilu Kuta, represented by Alhaji Tanko Muhammad, commended the organisers and called on donors and development partners to come to the aid of survivors.

One of the survivors, Zainab Salihu, from Madaka community, narrated her harrowing experience during captivity.

“They came on that faithful Thursday in the afternoon during the 9th day of Ramadan fasting in 2024, they killed people and abducted us.

“We spent one year and four months in their hands and they kept us in the bush doing farm work for them until we were rescued,” she said.