The Imo State Ministry of Justice has raised concerns over the absence of any prosecution for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the state, despite existing laws prohibiting the practice.
The Ministry called for improved identification, reporting, investigation, documentation and prosecution of FGM cases, particularly at the grassroots, to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
The Desk Officer for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Principal State Counsel in the Ministry, Chika Ndubuisi, Esq., disclosed that in her 21 years of legal practice, she had never witnessed the prosecution of an FGM perpetrator in court.
Ndubuisi spoke during a one-day capacity-strengthening workshop for justice sector actors and law enforcement agencies in Isu and Njaba Local Government Areas, organised by the Virgin Heart Foundation (VHF), in collaboration with the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs, with support from UNICEF.
The workshop brought together representatives of the police, judiciary, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, community-based organisations, FGM survivors, vigilante groups, civil society organisations and local government authorities.
Ndubuisi attributed part of the challenge to the culture of silence surrounding FGM in some communities, where victims and residents may be reluctant to report cases.
The legal officer urged community members and stakeholders to report suspected cases through community structures, vigilante groups, security agencies and the police, stressing that such cases could then be referred to the Ministry of Justice for appropriate legal action.
Speaking on behalf of the UNICEF Chief Field Officer, Juliet Chiluwe, the Child Protection Specialist at the UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Victor Atuchukwu, stressed the importance of successful prosecution in creating a deterrent against FGM.
Atuchukwu said the successful prosecution of even one case could send a strong message to communities, while urging security agencies and other stakeholders to overcome cultural biases and ensure the effective implementation of laws prohibiting the practice.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of VHF, Peace Dike, called for stronger collaboration among justice sector institutions, government ministries, security agencies, traditional and community leaders, religious organisations and vigilante groups to end FGM.
Dike said these stakeholders were strategically positioned within communities to identify, document, report and refer FGM cases, as well as support survivors through appropriate protection and referral mechanisms.
“This workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of justice actors to identify, document, manage and prosecute evidence-based FGM cases. This is because we don’t want the cases to end at the reporting stage,” she said.
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Dike also shared documented FGM cases with participants to facilitate practical discussions on evidence gathering, case handling, survivor protection, referral pathways and prosecution.
A representative of the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs noted that the existing laws were not necessarily weak, but that inadequate reporting of cases remained a major obstacle to effective enforcement.
Participants were reminded of relevant provisions of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, the Child Rights Law and the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Law, including penalties applicable to offenders.
The stakeholders resolved to strengthen grassroots reporting mechanisms, inter-agency collaboration, survivor-centred case management, evidence gathering and enforcement to ensure that reported FGM cases are properly investigated and prosecuted.
