By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA — THE Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, has called for stronger, safer and more credible mechanisms for reporting and addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, within Nigeria’s defence and security institutions.

The Executive Director, CISLAC, Comrade Auwal Rafsanjani, made the call on Tuesday at a National Multi-Stakeholder Policy Dialogue on strengthening human rights-centred and gender-responsive approaches to SGBV in defence and security operations in Nigeria.

The dialogue held in Abuja and supported by the Government of Ireland brought together representatives of defence and security institutions, government agencies, oversight bodies, civil society organisations, diplomatic missions, development partners, gender and human rights practitioners and the media.

Rafsanjani said the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security institutions should not be measured solely by their operational capacity, but also by their ability to protect human rights, dignity, safety and equality.

He warned that SGBV affects not only civilians but also personnel within security institutions, people in detention or custody, communities affected by conflict and insecurity, and individuals seeking protection or assistance from state institutions.

According to him, victims and complainants often face fear of retaliation, stigma, institutional barriers, confidentiality concerns, power imbalances and a lack of confidence in existing complaint mechanisms.

He said: “These challenges require more than the existence of policies on paper. They require institutional systems that personnel and members of the public can trust and safely use.”

He stressed that Nigeria had made important commitments to human rights, gender equality and the prevention of violence, while defence and security institutions had established policies and structures that could support SGBV prevention and response.

However, he challenged stakeholders to assess how effectively those commitments operate in practice.

He asked whether existing reporting channels were accessible, confidential and survivor-centred, and whether complainants were adequately protected from retaliation and further harm.

He also questioned whether institutional procedures provided clear pathways from reporting through investigation, referral and disciplinary action to prosecution where appropriate.

The CISLAC boss called for gender considerations to be integrated into recruitment, deployment, leadership, training, security operations and internal accountability.

He stressed that no single institution could address the challenges alone, arguing for a whole-of-institution and whole-of-society approach to security-sector reform.

He said defence and security agencies had operational experience, while oversight institutions provided accountability and regulatory perspectives.

Civil society, he added, could contribute independent evidence, community perspectives and advocacy expertise, while gender and human rights practitioners brought specialised knowledge on prevention, protection, survivor support and institutional reform.

He also emphasised the role of the media and development partners, while insisting that survivors and affected communities must remain central to discussions on prevention, reporting, protection and accountability.

“Our objective should not simply be to identify gaps. We should identify practical, institutionally feasible, measurable and sustainable solutions”, he said.

He stated that CISLAC/TI-Nigeria does not regard security and human rights as competing objectives.

According to him, a security institution that protects human dignity, respects fundamental rights, provides safe avenues for complaints and responds appropriately to allegations of abuse would strengthen public confidence and institutional legitimacy.

He also urged stakeholders to stop treating gender responsiveness as a peripheral component of security-sector governance.

Rather, he said it should be embedded in institutional standards, operational procedures, leadership and decision-making, personnel management, training, complaint mechanisms and accountability systems.

He said CISLAC/TI-Nigeria’s project was supporting efforts to understand existing practices, identify institutional and systemic gaps, strengthen stakeholder engagement and develop practical recommendations for improving SGBV prevention, reporting and accountability across Nigeria’s defence and security architecture.

He called for stronger policies, training, leadership standards and workplace cultures to prevent SGBV before it occurs.

He also advocated reporting mechanisms that are accessible, confidential, trusted and safe for survivors, witnesses, security personnel and members of the public.

On accountability, he said allegations should be handled through clear, fair and credible procedures that protect due process without allowing complaints to be ignored or unnecessarily delayed.

He further called for gender considerations to be incorporated into recruitment, deployment, leadership, operational planning, community engagement and institutional decision-making.

On oversight, he urged internal accountability structures, independent oversight bodies, civil society and other stakeholders to work more effectively together while respecting institutional mandates and confidentiality requirements.

He also acknowledged the sustained support of the Government of the Netherlands, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to CISLAC in collaboration with Transparency International Defence and Security (TI-DS UK).

However, he acknowledged the difficult operating environment faced by Nigeria’s defence and security personnel, stressing that security personnel themselves must also be protected from harassment, abuse, exploitation and other forms of SGBV.

“Our shared responsibility is to build institutions where reporting abuse does not expose a complainant to further vulnerability; where legitimate complaints are treated seriously; where survivors have access to appropriate support and referral; where personnel understand their responsibilities; and where accountability mechanisms operate with fairness, professionalism and integrity”, he said.

According to him, the ultimate objective should be to move “from commitment to implementation, from mechanisms to meaningful access, and from institutional policies to practical protection and accountability.”

He expressed confidence that the dialogue would produce recommendations and actions capable of strengthening Nigeria’s defence and security institutions.

He called for security institutions that are “professional, accountable, inclusive, rights-respecting and responsive” to the different needs and vulnerabilities of women, men, girls and boys.

Meanwhile, in a goodwill message, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu represented by the meeting, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Alinyenu Idu maintained that, “Security operations must protect citizens while ensuring that the rights and dignity of every individual, particularly women, children and other vulnerable groups, are respected.

“The Force also recognises the importance of adopting gender-responsive and survivor-centred approaches in the prevention, reporting, investigation and response to SGBV. Victims and survivors must be treated with dignity, confidentiality and sensitivity, while perpetrators must be subjected to appropriate investigation and lawful accountability.

He also urged Nigerians not to hesitate in complaining to the Complaint Response Unit, CRU,for necessary action as the police alone as an institution cannot fight SGVB but through collaboration with relevant stakeholders including citizens to reduce it.

In her goodwill message, the Comptroller- General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, in a goodwill message assured that the Service is “at the frontline of border governance, migration management and national security, the Nigeria Immigration Service is acutely aware that security operations must not only be effective but must also be human rights-centred, gender-sensitive and accountable.

“Our personnel interact daily with vulnerable populations including women, children and victims of trafficking and smuggling of migrants, where respect for human dignity is non-negotiable.”