By Emma Nnadozie

LAGOS — The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Pathologist, Dr. Samuel Keshinro, has emphasized the critical role of data collection in intelligence gathering, particularly in preventing crimes such as homicides and femicides.

Dr. Keshinro spoke at a training workshop organized by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Lagos State Command, held at their Panti, Yaba conference hall. The event, which saw the attendance of 150 police officers, including Assistant Commissioner of Police Shola Omilade, focused on innovative approaches to tackling gender-based violence and other violent crimes.

Delivering a lecture titled “Measuring Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls (Femicides),” Dr. Keshinro outlined the importance of a statistical framework for tracking femicides. He noted that femicide, defined as the gender-related killing of women and girls, falls under the international classification of crime for statistical purposes developed by the United Nations. This framework, he explained, is based on globally accepted concepts and principles designed to enhance the consistency of crime statistics and improve analytical capabilities both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Keshinro also underscored the vulnerability of women and girls to violence, particularly within households, where intimate partners and family members are often the primary perpetrators.

In his closing remarks, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the SCID, Lateef Ahmed, urged officers to adopt a newly developed homicide data collection form introduced during the workshop. He described the tool as a crucial addition to the Nigeria Police Force’s arsenal for crime analysis, enhancing its core responsibilities of maintaining law and order, protecting lives and property, and preventing crime.

The workshop further aimed to raise awareness about Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and the extreme manifestation of such crimes—femicide. It sought to bridge statistical gaps and establish a framework for measuring femicides within the Nigeria Police Force and other government agencies, thereby bolstering efforts to end such acts.

Sponsored by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative (D4H), the program is part of a broader series of activities designed to enhance data-driven decision-making within the NPF.