The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has launched a Sexual and Gender-Based Violence investigator aide-mémoire card to improve justice for sexual assault survivors in North-East Nigeria. UNODC Country Representative Cheikh Toure unveiled the guide during a one-day event on Thursday in Abuja, describing it as a practical tool to support frontline responders in handling SGBV cases linked to terrorism in Borno. The guide outlines seven steps for safe, survivor-centred investigations and includes referral contacts across three states for medical, legal and psychosocial services. Toure said it was developed with Nigerian stakeholders and with support from the United Nations Population Fund, ensuring national ownership. It will be distributed to the Nigeria Police Force, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the military, and medical practitioners. He emphasized the critical role of forensic evidence, warning that cases could collapse without proper identification, collection and preservation. UNODC is upgrading the Ngelewa Sexual Assault Referral Centre and enhancing forensic laboratory capacity at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja. Toure said these efforts reflect a commitment to dignity, accountability and the rule of law. Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court said the aide-mémoire would improve case handling and prosecution outcomes. Wilma Endamne, senior project manager at Global Affairs Canada, called the launch a milestone, saying the tool fills critical gaps in frontline investigation. The project is funded by Global Affairs Canada.
A guide cannot prosecute offenders or heal survivors—only sustained political will and functional institutions can. The fact that a UN agency must step in to provide basic investigative tools exposes the state's long-standing neglect of justice infrastructure in the North-East. If forensic labs and referral systems are only now being strengthened, victims in past cases were effectively abandoned by the system meant to protect them. The real test will be whether Nigerian security and judicial agencies consistently apply what the guide prescribes.
⚖️ NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
