By Abdulmumin Murtala, KANO

The Kano state government, in a program funded by the European Union (EU) in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is to establish a Justice for Children Coordination Forum in the state to protect children that come in contact with the law.

Members of the Forum will be drawn from the Police, Ministries of Justice, Education and Health, Nigerian Correctional Centre, Immigrations Service and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

Others include, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Human Right Commission (NHRC), Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), UNICEF, Media Organizations as well as Chief Registrars of Courts and the Justice Sector Reform Team (JSRT).

Some of the issues the Forum will look into include violence, against children, abuse, neglect, bully and those who could not be able to access justice and also advise on prevention and reformation of children in contact with the justice system.

The UNICEF Field Officer in Kano, Fatima Adamu Muhammad explained that the program will also create easy access to coordinated data from all the institutions that are in contact with children.

“This is a maiden meeting for the Kano Forum of the Justice for Children Forum and the constitution of the forum members. Hopefully in the next few weeks, the forum will be inaugurated by the Honorable Attorney General of the State.

“It is a partnership, a support from the European Union to UNICEF and UNICEF is extending this support to Kano state and three other states to strengthen the child friendly justice system.

“There are a lot of gaps, there is gap with regards to data, even though we know that there is data here and there in different institutions, there is need to have a centralised form of data system that people can easily access and can be used for decision making as it relates to issues of children in contact with the law. That is just one of it, but there are several other reasons.

“We also recognise the fact that the state is doing its best, the justice reform system is doing very well, there is also need to support them in areas where there are gaps that need to be supported to strengthen the good work they are doing.

“At the end of the project with the UNICEF support, hopefully the state will be able to attain some child friendly service provision for children in contact with the law including children in conflict with the law, that is client focus.

“For example if it is a child then all that should be put in place for a child should be put in place by the government,” she stated.

Vanguard News Nigeria