GBV Trial: Bauchi Chief Magistrate Advocates Survivor-Centric, Approach
Chief Magistrate Amina Garuba Ahmed. Photo: Murtala Muhammad
By Murtala Muhammad
A Chief Magistrate with the Bauchi State Judiciary, Amina Garuba Ahmed calls for a combination of Survivor-Centered and Legal-centred approaches for case trials, particularly on Gender Based Violence, GBV to ensure justice for survivors of GBV.
She made the call in an interview with Radio Nigeria, shortly after delivering a lecture at the just concluded two-day extensive training for Investigation Police Officers (IPOs) and Prosecutors in Bauchi.
Organized by the State Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the training has equipped the participants with various ingredients that are needed for presentation before the courts to ensure successful prosecution.
Chief Magistrate Amina Garuba Ahmed who is also the Executive Director, General Ikra Foundation For Women and Youth Development, said being Survivor-Centric connotes that the IPOs and Prosecutors should be empathic by putting themselves in the survivors’ shoes, so as to secure them justice.
She advised the trained IPOs and Prosecutors to put their best and implement all they were taught for the complainants to rebuild confidence in them.
On the rational behind the selection of the participants, the Gender Desk Officer of the Bauchi State Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Ibrahim Yusuf said it has been observed that some important evidence were missing or left out while presenting a very good case of GBV in courts, hence the need for the ministry to acquaint them with the information needed.
Maimuna Ibrahim expressed satisfaction that the participants have exhibited a high sense of maturity and responsibility throughout the training sessions and hoped that a shift would be visible from the side of IPOs and the prosecutors.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sulaiman Tirmidhi said the training was an eye opener for them and they have learnt a lot within the extensive two-day exercise.
ASP Tirmidhi assured to step down what they have garnered to their counterparts and subordinates.
