CLEEN Trains DPOs In Plateau To Strengthen GBV Response

By Blessing Odega

CLEEN Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has trained 20 Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Plateau to strengthen response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), improve investigations, protect victims and promote accountability.

The Executive Director, Mr Peter Maduoma, who said this on Thursday in Jos, added that the specialised training was aimed at building the capacities of officers to prevent GBV.

Maduoma, who was represented by Mrs Chigozirim Okoro, CLEEN Programme Manager, noted that prevention remained a strategic and cost-effective approach.

“We are not gathering to discuss how to manage GBV after the damage has been done. We are here to build your capacity to prevent it from happening in the first place,” he said.

He added that prevention was the most strategic and cost-effective form of policing, stressing that a prevented GBV case would not escalate into murder investigations, child protection emergencies or wider community crises.

According to him, Nigeria is facing a serious and growing GBV crisis, with one in three women aged 15 to 49 having experienced physical violence.

He also noted that one in four women had experienced intimate partner violence, adding that reporting rates remained low because many survivors do not believe reporting would help.

Maduoma said participants were trained to map GBV risks within their jurisdictions, understand community dynamics that enabled abuse, examine legal and institutional frameworks, and develop practical prevention action plans for their divisions.

Earlier, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Training and Development at Force Headquarters, Ishaku Mohammed, commended the foundation for its sustained partnership in strengthening police capacity on contemporary security and human rights issues.

Mohammed, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Babagana Galadima, said GBV remained a significant social and security concern with far-reaching consequences for victims, families and society.

He said DPOs played a pivotal role in responding to and preventing GBV through community engagement, early intervention, victim-centred policing and enforcement of relevant laws.

He described the training as timely and strategic, adding that it would deepen participants’ understanding of GBV prevention frameworks and enhance investigative and response capacity.

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Mohammed urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to improve service delivery, professionalism and public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.

A participant, DPO Lydia Venchit, commended the NGO for the training, saying it had enhanced her knowledge and skills in handling GBV cases, victim protection, investigations and accountability.

She said the knowledge gained would be cascaded to other officers in her division.

NAN reports that the two-day training was held on Wednesday and Friday. (NAN)

Edited by Peter Amine