Women activists from Bayelsa state have met with the newly deployed commissioner of police in the state, Mr. Echeng Eworo Echeng, over the establishment of a gender desk in the various divisional headquarters of the Nigeria police to ensure the quick prosecution of cases of rape, violence against the girl child and domestic violence.
The women activists, who are attached to the Gender Response Initiative Team set up by the wife of the Bayelsa state governor, Mrs. Gloria Ebibomo Diri, to advocate against violence against the girl child, also sought the assistance of the commissioner of police for the arrest, investigation and prosecution of an herbalist in Otuasega community in Ogbia local government council that forcefully defiled a primary school pupil.
The coordinator of the GRIT, Barr. Dise Ogbise, while speaking during the call on the state commissioner of police, Mr. Echeng Eworo Echeng, at the headquarters of the command, sought a working partnership with the police command for the establishment of gender response desks and training of gender desk officers with logistics and vehicles.
Ogbise, who led other members of GRIT, including the Secretary, Mrs Tari Oliver, the Assistant Secetary, Dr. Ann Obuebite, Public Relations Officer, Hajiya Mariam Abeki , Head of counselling Unit, Dr. Juliet Teibowei, Treasurer, Lady P K Berez and OC Gender, Grace RICHMAN, also requested for the immediate intervention of the police leadership in the current case at Otuasega community in Ogbia local government council where an uncle, who is identified as an herbalist, had force canal knowledge of a seven year old primary school pupil.
The GRIT also sought the assistance of the police top hierarchy for all rape cases at the divisional level to be transferred immediately to the SCID gender office and that all defilement cases should be treated free at the police clinic or at a subsidized amount.
Ealier in his statement, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Echeng Eworo Echeng commended the Wife of the Bayelsa State Governor, Mrs. Gloria Ebibomo Diri , for constituting a team of great minds and purpose, promising to continue the existing partnership that has helped the police in dealing with issues of violence in the State, especially gender based violence..
Echeng immediately ordered that a police signal be sent across all the police formations within Bayelsa state for all cases of defilement to be transferred to the gender desk in the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). He also called and ordered the immediate transfer of the case of defilement which occurred in Otuasega community in Ogbia Local Government council.
