Collaborate With Other Agencies For Effective Child Protection In Nigeria, Police Told
Collaborate With Other Agencies For Effective Child Protection In Nigeria, Police Told
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL,Sokoto
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been advised to ensure mutual collaboration with relevant stakeholders and other security agencies towards ensuring protection and safety of children.
Giving the advice at a 2-Day Dissemination and Orientation Workshop on “The Nigerian Police Force Standard Operating Procedures For Handling Children In Conflict With The Law, Child Victims and Witnesses”, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Nkiru Maduechesi added that, best results for child protection is attained with specialisation.
Group picture of participants at the 2-Day Workshop on Standard Operating Procedures holden at Dankeni Hotels, Sokoto State.
The 2-Day workshop organized by the Sokoto State Ministry of Justice with support from European Union (EU) through the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), has participants from across 7 local government areas of Sokoto State.
According to Nkiru, the objectives of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is to ensure a separate system of justice that upholds the rights of children, preserves their welfare and dignity, protect them from harm, abuse and support their continued development, rehabilitation and reintegration.
While noting that, the acceptable principles of the SOP is for the best interest of the child, the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Nkiru, listed some of those interest to include, safety, heath, development, protection, right to life, right of opinion , dignity and self worth, prevention of offence, minimizing delay, protection of privacy, proportionality of response, use of alternative measures as well as rehabilitation and reintegration rather than retribution and punishment.
On her part, Maryam Darwesh Said, Chief UNICEF Sokoto Field Office in an interview admitted that the aim of the workshop is to enable the Nigeria police have Child Friendly Procedures.
This according to Maryam is to help guide participants on Standard Operating Procedure in handling cases involving children who are victims, survivors and or witnesses of crime as well as that of children in conflict with the law.
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Giving overview of the workshop,
Superintendent of Police, (SP) Lasisi Babatunde said it is aimed at raising awareness mechanisms by which a distinction should be made between criminal offences and child protection concerns.
Adding her voice to the issue of child protection, Sokoto State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Aishatu Ahmad Kaoje appealed to investigators to be deligent and humane in carrying out their duties to the best interest of the child.
Earlier in a goodwill message, Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, (CP) Ali Hayatu Kaigama admitted that the training is very apt and admonished participants to give it their best and step down whatever knowledge gotten to their respective divisions.
Talking on the composition of the 2-Day workshop, an Assistant Director with the Ministry of Justice and Sokoto State Focal Person, Justice Partnership, Barrister Habiba Ahmed Usman divulged that 85 participants including women were drawn from Illela, Binji, Tangaza, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Bodinga and Denge Shuni local government areas respectively for the training.
