Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen Flanked by the UN women Country Representative Comfort Lamptey, and the POWA President Hajia Hajara Alkali Baba wife of the Inspector General of Police.

By Festus Fifen.

As part of activities to Mark this Year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with the theme Orange The World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect” The Nigeria Police Force over the weekend activated the Orange Light Position in Nigeria Police Force Headquarters Building Louis Edet House Garki Abuja.

In a brief lighting ceremony in Abuja The minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen said the choice of the Nigeria Police headquarters as the place for the lighting ceremony is very strategic because the Nigeria Police Force is very key to the ending of gender-based violence in Nigeria.

In her words, ” We are grateful for this opportunity given to us to partner with the Nigeria Police to end gender-based violence in Nigeria, we the Nigeria Women are appealing to every trained officer in the force to take this assignment more seriously.”

“We are relying on the Nigeria Police Force to make sure that cases of gender-based violence are reported, properly address and punished accordingly, on our part we are ensuring that all the states in the country domesticate the Violence Against Persons (VAP) Act, and implement it.”

” We want to sincerely thank The UN agency for standing by us in this 16 days activism, let’s know that it was not created by Nigeria and it’s not a ministry of women affairs matter, it’s a global issue, it is preventable, by the time we deal with the perpetrators of this act, the records will reduce.”

In his Remarks, the Nigeria Inspector General Of Police IGP Usman Alkali Baba represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police DIG Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim states that the Nigeria police has taken steps to in the areas of curbing gender based violence in Nigeria.

In his words, ” I Want to assure you that very soon, the gender desk officer of the Nigeria Police force will be cascaded down to the divisional level of the force, from the Force Headquarters to the Command level and the Divisional level”

Secondly I have also Directed the the gender policy be reviewed, after which is is expected that it will be given legal backing either as a force order or Force Administrative Instruction, I think my so doing, the Force is taking the right step in the right direction in tune with international best practices”

Speaking Earlier, The AIG Force Animal AIG Aisha Abubakar in her opening remarks said to commemorate this year’s 16 days of activism, all Nigeria women have been in Orange as a symbol of support to the global crusade against gender based violence

” Nigeria Police is saying No to violence against women, this year, we are not just lighting the Force Headquarter Orange, but we are keying into the programs of the 16 days of activism with our own programmes.”

High point was the official switching on of the Orange light at the Force Headquarters Abuja which was performed by the minister of women affairs Dame Patience Tallen supported, Representative of the Inspector General of Police, DIG Zanna Mohammed, Wife of the IGP and National President of Police Officers’ Wife Association POWA, Hajia Hajara Alkali Baba, UN Women Country Representative Comfort Lamtey, AIG Aisha Abubakar, Force Public Relations Officer CP Frank Mba and other Dignitaries.