BY Ayodele Oluwafemi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union (EU) have partnered with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to train officers on the professional techniques to handle cases involving children.
The partnership culminated in a two-day workshop, which ended on Wednesday at the Police College, Lagos.
The workshop was attended by the police officers handling children and gender issues in stations and divisions under the Lagos command, and representatives of some non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Speaking at the event, Denis Onoise, a child protection specialist at UNICEF, asked officers to avoid discrimination while treating cases involving children and vulnerable persons.
Onoise urged them to understand the provisions of the child rights act to effectively deal with cases involving minors.
He asked officers to be calm while interviewing children who have experienced sexual and domestic violence.
On her part, Rita Oki Emesim, deputy commissioner of police, gender, force headquarters, asked officers to always take rape cases seriously.
Emesim said sexual assault cases cannot be settled by “forgiveness” but through the prosecution of suspects.
“Rape is a very serious offence. There is nothing like forgiveness. Prosecution of suspects must take place in court,” she said.
“Rape affects the psychology of the survivors for a very long time. Those appealing for the forgiveness of the suspects instead of prosecution should be ignored.”
She charged police officers to be passionate about children and gender cases, adding that the work of a police officer is a “humanitarian affair”.
Highlighting the procedures for handling cases involving children, Lasisi Babatunde, an officer who acts as UNICEF gender focal person, charged his colleagues to always ensure the child’s safety while dealing with matters of domestic and sexual violence.
Babatunde asked the police operatives not to interview children without the presence of a trusted adult and be friendly and kind.
He encouraged them to collaborate with stakeholders, including the social welfare department and local leaders, in the best interest and confidentiality of the child.
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