Sexual Violence in Conflict Threatens Nigeria's Peace, Warns Sulaiman-Ibrahim

The Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has declared that conflict-related sexual violence remains a critical threat to Nigeria's internal stability, human security, and long-term socio-economic development. Speaking in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Minister emphasized that addressing these systemic violations is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving sustainable peace and national progress.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim highlighted that women, children, and vulnerable populations bear the heaviest burden in regions impacted by banditry, terrorism, and communal clashes, necessitating a unified, trauma-informed approach across state security structures.

The Minister detailed the federal government's multi-pronged approach to safeguarding vulnerable communities and dismantling the culture of impunity surrounding perpetrators:

• Institutional Policing Reforms: A central component of the strategy involves embedding specialized gender desks and human rights units within the Nigeria Police Force high command. These units are being systematically trained to handle survivors with utmost confidentiality, mitigating the secondary trauma often experienced during legal and investigative processes.
• Dismantling Impunity: Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that lasting peace cannot be built on a foundation of silence. She urged the judiciary and joint military-civilian task forces operating in conflict zones to prioritize the swift prosecution of offenders, asserting that accountability serves as the ultimate deterrent against state-level human rights abuses.
• The Nexus of Peace and Progress: The policy document links the eradication of gender-based violence directly to national economic growth. The Minister noted that when displacement camps and rural agrarian communities are plagued by fear, agricultural output drops and local trade routes collapse, which directly stalls broader regional development.

The declaration concluded with an urgent call to action directed at sub-national governments, international civil society organizations, and local community leaders. They are urged to actively collaborate with federal security agencies to establish robust early-warning systems and readily accessible medical, legal, and psychological rehabilitation networks for survivors across all affected geopolitical zones.