1. On the 4th of November 2021, representatives of the Network of Disabled Women (NDW) paid Lawyers Alert a courtesy visit towards the implementation of the Nigeria Disability Act.
   The objective of the meeting: towards strengthening and building opportunities for Women with Disabilities, including accessibility to public and private spaces.

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1. INTRODUCTION

   1. This report is submitted to the UN Committee against Torture as a "shadow" report of the period under review of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to highlight key areas in which the Nigerian government can improve its commitments under the Convention.

 

1. This report is a joint submission by the following Nigerian CSO’s: Sterling Center for Law & Development, Avocats Sans Frontieres France (Lawyers without borders), Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) and Idris Bawo & Co-led by Lawyers Alert.

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Background

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Lawyers Alert is contributing to positively changing the dynamics of SRHR in Nigeria by the creation of effective SRHR movements, operational networks and collaborations at the grassroots, judicial activism, legal literacy (rights awareness creation) and provision of scientific data on violations. These steps are contributing in no small measure to the changing narrative and positive push for the enjoyment of Reproductive Health Rights in Nigeria.

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Background
By July 2021, a total of 68, 556 persons in Nigeria are in correctional service centers with 70% of these persons awaiting trial. A large percentage of those awaiting trial is on account of Petty Offences. These persons are often the poor and vulnerable in the society owing to the very nature of Petty Offences and economic reasons

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INTRODUCTION:
In 2020, Lawyers Alert embarked on a project to empower members of the Benue State Association of the Deaf (BSAD) with Skill Acquisition through meaningful partnerships. We partnered with the House of Hilkiah Foundation (HOHF) and plans have been ongoing since then to achieve this goal with a pilot of 20 persons with equal representation of men and women. 

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INTRODUCTION

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This report assesses the outcome of the capacity-building exercise facilitated by Lawyers Alert and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), for Judges and Judicial Panel Members sitting in 30 states in December 2020 in terms of progress and success rate of the panels. This evaluation is based on desk review, field visits, and interviews with project beneficiaries and partners.

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Upon the approval to constitute Judicial Panels of inquiry to investigate the events that led to the #ENDSARS protests that took place in 2020 in Nigeria and the human rights abuses on citizens by security operatives; the National Human Rights Commission’s Executive Secretary, Mr Anthony O. Ojukwu constituted the said Panels in 32 States of the Federation.

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1st Session: Impact on access to justice for the poor and marginalized.

Without a doubt, COVID-19 presented a huge public health concern, and the management of
the pandemic by states impacted on access to justice in several ways. Part of states responses
saw courts closing or rationed, with the attendant consequences on justice losing the cardinal
principles of timely and fair hearings owing to case backlogs and inordinate delays in an
already challenging the justice system.

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The meeting commenced exactly at 10:30 with the introduction of participants and the National Anthem. 

Welcome Address: Roseline Oghenebrume

Welcomes participants to the accountability forum meant for the Civil Society Representative at the Police Service Commission, Hon. Commissioner Rommy Mom Esq. to give an account of his stewardship to Civil Society groups.

The Police Service Commission, PSC is the statutory body created by Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) regulated by the PSC Act and is managed by members of the Commission nominated by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and confirmed by the National Assembly with a statutory tenure of five years.

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Lawyers Alert provides free legal assistance to women and girls in Nigeria, amongst other interventions. It is in this regard that we are providing free legal assistance to women and girls who have suffered any human rights violation with regard to the #ENDSARS protest.

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Overview/Meeting Objectives

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  The meeting was convened to link Women Groups with the Gender unit (GU) of the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS) of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria. The meeting had the following objectives;

1. To introduce the GU and PDSS to Women Groups

2. For women groups to understand the roles of the GU and PDSS in addressing issues of SRHR and GBV.

3. To create a link between women groups, GU and PDSS.

4. Modus for working together and service delivery.

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Overview/Meeting Objectives

•      The meeting had the following objectives;

• To Introduce the GU&PDSS to women groups.

• For women groups to understand the roles of the GU&PDSS in addressing issues of SRHR and GBV.

•     3.To create a link between women groups, GU&PDSS.

•     4.Modules for working together and service delivery.

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Introduction

The meeting is convened to understand the challenges being faced by the Gender Unit (GU) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS) of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria and to develop a road map for addressing these challenges.

​A two-man team of Lawyers Alert left Abuja for Minna, Niger state on the 16th September 2020 for a meeting scheduled for the following day at Dogon Koli Hotel.

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• Overview/Meeting Objectives

The meeting had the following objectives;

1. To understand the challenges of the GU&PDSS (Resources & Technically).

2. Develop a road map for addressing these challenges.

3. To enhance participant skills in understanding their roles and best ways to address issues of SRHR and GBV in a Human Rights and Satisfactory manner.

4. Modus for monitoring, documentation, working together.

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Lawyers Alert’ work on documentation of rights violations focuses amongst several things on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and more importantly Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This is through our online tool styled “LadockT”. here The tool captures violations across locations and states, exhibiting types and trends. Using this tool, we have consistently captured and provided data on GBV and VAWG in the last 3 years. The reports can be found here.

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• In the wake of COVID-19 & during the period of the lockdown occasioned by the pandemic, Lawyers Alert called for submission of complaints and memos from women and women groups who suffered human rights violations, by state and non-state agencies in any form associated with the COVID-19 lockdown.

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• Overview/Meeting Objectives

The meeting had the following objectives;

1. To understand the challenges of the GU&PDSS (Resources & Technically).

2. Develop a road map for addressing these challenges.

3. To enhance participant skills in understanding their roles and best ways to address issues of SRHR and GBV in a Human Rights and Satisfactory manner.

4. Modus for monitoring, documentation, working together.

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• Overview/Meeting Objectives

The meeting had the following objectives;

1. To understand the challenges of the GU&PDSS (Resources & Technically).

2. Develop a road map for addressing these challenges.

3. To enhance participant skills in understanding their roles and best ways to address issues of SRHR and GBV in a Human Rights and Satisfactory manner.

4. Modus for monitoring, documentation, working together.

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Lawyers Alert monitors and documents human rights violations, as well as provides free legal assistance to women and girls in Nigeria. We are aware of the violation of the rights of women during the lockdown associated with COVID-19 as evidenced in the media, both social and traditional. Several human rights agencies, including the National Human Rights Commission, has documented several of these.

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Lawyers Alert in March 2020, carried out an assessment of small and medium-sized Sexual and Reproductive Health and Right Organizations across the 6 geo-political zones in Nigeria. The assessment was centred on the following; Governance; Experience, knowledge and skills; Networking and referral systems; Resource Mobilization; Human Resource Management; Procurement and Financial Management Systems; Service Delivery; Gender Management Systems & Monitoring and Evaluation

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On the 6th of February 2020, a representative of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and Open Society Foundation (OSF) and Lawyers Alert rubbed minds on the shrinking civic space and notable Bills like NGO Bill, Social Media Bill, False Information Bill, etc. before the Nigeria parliament. At this meeting were Jeff and Anita from OSF, while LA was represented by Olayemi, Blessing, Roseline, and Bamidele.

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Overview/Meeting Objectives:
The meeting had the following objectives;
1) To understand the scope of petty offenses and SRHR violations
2) To enhance participants skills in reporting and documenting petty offenses and SRHR
violations.
3) Modus for documentation.

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Right to Life Initiative, a Key and Affected Population (KAP) focused organization paid an advocacy visit to Lawyers Alert on the 20th of January, 2020 to discuss issues of mutual interest and strengthening of ties between the two organizations.

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On the 6th of February 2020, representatives of the Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI) paid Lawyers Alert a courtesy visit towards mapping organizations working on I. Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE), ii. Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), iii. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), iv. Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and v. Harmful Practices (HP) in the FCT. The mapping is part of their EU-UN Joint Spotlight Initiative on Ending all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls.

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16 days of activism is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November every year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. To this end, Lawyers Alert as a Rights-Based Organization with a focus on Women and Gender issues joined the rest of the World to commemorate those days. 

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Overview/Meeting Objectives:

The meeting had the following objectives;

1) Introduce the expanded Monitoring and Documentation tool “LADOCKT” to partners and’

2) Train partners on how to use LADOCKT to monitor and document petty offences.

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Overview/Meeting Objectives:
The meeting had the following objectives;
1) Adoption of the Action Plan of the Alliance for the Decriminalization of Petty Offenses in
Nigeria and;
2) Tracking and documenting petty offenses in Nigeria

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The training commenced with the registration and introduction of participants. Thereafter, Roseline Ogehenebrume, Director Program, Lawyers Alert, delivered a welcome address as she acknowledged all participants present. She also thanked participants for making out time for the training despite the short notice and asked them to be participatory and interactive.

 

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Lawyers Alert will on Tuesday, 15th October 2019 facilitate a meeting of petty offenses actors in Nigeria on the Decriminalization of Petty Offences in Nigeria (ADPON) & its Partners in FCT, Abuja, with the objectives of adopting the Action plan of the Alliance and discuss on possible ways of tracking & documenting Petty Offences in Nigeria towards the periodic publication of scientific data to be used for Advocacy purposes.

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Lawyers Alert will on the 12 of September 2019 hold a day Civil society organizations/media follow–up meeting towards the sighing up to OGP (Open Government Partnership) in Benue State. With the objective of Selecting a CSO steering committee that will engage the Benue State Government to sign into the OGP. Recall that on the 18th of July Capacity building for CSO’s on OGP was conducted by Lawyers Alert in Partnership to equip them with the necessary information for advocacy on OGP.

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Lawyers Alert will on Wednesday and Thursday, 18th and 19th September 2019 meet with Civil Society groups in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, especially Civil Society groups working on HIV with the objectives of carrying out Advocacy against the proposed criminalization of HIV infection in the State. Recall, that the last State Parliament had proposed the passage of Law that will criminalize HIV infection in Akwa-Ibom State and the present Parliament appears to be so minded.

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Follow the link to watch the shot video on Gender-based Violence

by Damilola Ogunsi

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Lawyers Alert Staff this month paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli at the Headquarters of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to discuss issues of trafficking and gender-based violence. Very illuminating response from the DG. Below is the video.

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The Management of Lawyers Alert visited the Attorney General & Commissioner of Justice, Benue State, where he spoke against violence on women and girls. Below is the video.

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Petty acts that have been criminalized wears the face of poverty and discrimination. In effect, it is a human rights issue. When people go to jail for loitering, hawking, and similar acts, it's definitely a poverty issue. Towards the decriminalization of petty offences, Lawyers Alert convened a meeting recently in Abuja where activists began a conversation towards the decriminalization. Below is the Video.

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As part of our free legal services to vulnerable persons, Lawyers Alert is happy to announce that we have secured the release of John Ibya from prison custody. Sometime in July 2018, Mr ibya was arrested by the police in Aliade and was immediately taken to the police station for the alleged offense of conspiracy, attempted robbery, and housebreaking. He was arraigned at the Chief Magistrate court Aliade for the said offenses. 

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On the 24th of September 2018, a case of human trafficking was reported to us at Lawyers Alert for legal advice and possible assistance. That a certain man named Saviour Daboor was placed under arrest and detained by the police at the State Criminal Investigation Intelligence Department (SCIID) Makurdi for an alleged case of human trafficking.

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Introduction

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Lawyers Alert on the 7th of June 2018 organised a one-day sensitization session for selected Civil Society Groups in North Central Nigeria with the aim of fostering law, human rights and effective Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Movement in Nigeria. The North Central sensitization session was held in Makurdi, Benue State and was targeted at Small and Medium Civil Society Organisations and Lawyers in the North Central of the Federation. A total of 10 Organisations were mobilized for the meeting with a total of 22 participants in attendance.

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Background

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Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, SRHR, in Nigeria is an area which, owing to culture and religion, is neither making as much progress nor being given as much space for expression in comparative terms with more “acceptable” rights.

Violence against Women and Girls, Abortion, Same-Sex Relationships, Female Sex Work, Rights of Persons Living with HIV, Female Genital Mutilation etc. are all issues that citizens regularly confront yet fail to attract commensurate attention in the positive from authorities. Particularly affected are Persons Living With, Affected by or Most at Risk of HIV.

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The problem of gender-based violence (GBV) is an age-long problem in our communities that has led to the loss of lives, emotional disorder, psychological torture, and other forms of human rights abuses. These violations happen more in rural areas than urban areas due to poor access to information, inadequate exposure, and anti-human rights cultural practices, leading to an anti-social environment for women and children.

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The Head Office of Lawyers Alert in Makurdi, Benue State paid an advocacy visit to the Benue State Emergency Management Agency on the 23rd of August 2018. The 3-Person delegation was led by Mr Lazarus M. Ahangba the Programs Manager, alongside Jerome Uneje Programs Officer, and Linus Mbakaan the Administrative Officer.

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On the 29th day of August 2018, the Hope Sisters Against HIV/AIDS, Stigma and
Discrimination Initiative, a Women-Led Grassroot Civic Group in Makurdi, Benue State paid a Courtesy Visit to Lawyers Alert Head Office in order to identify with the LA and strengthen the existing working relationship between both Organizations.

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Lawyers alert developed a web-based tool that is used to track, monitor and document violations of rights. Essence is to exhibit how the violation of rights and the lack of participation in governance undermine Nigerian democracy with regard to inclusive and participatory governance.

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Lawyers Alert with the Support of Amplify Change Facilitated a one-day North-Central meeting of Coalition of Lawyers for Human Rights, COLaHR in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.

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The meeting had in attendance lawyers and representatives from the North-Central zone who are expected to lead SRHR movements within the zone.

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In continuation of our project which seeks to reduce and eliminate violence against women and girls, Lawyers alert has added 5 states to its already existing 8, making it a total of 13 states.

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In the last 6 weeks, Lawyers Alert has created a partnership with key groups in these 5 states and we are currently liaising with several community women groups who report violations and access free legal services

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Lawyers Alert with the Support of Amplify Change Facilitated a 2-day meeting of Coalition of Lawyers for Human Rights, COLaHR in Nigeria.

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The meeting had in attendance lawyers from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria who are expected to lead the SRHR movement in the six geopolitical zones.

 

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A public hearing held by the Joint Committees of Appropriation of the Senate and the House of Representatives for Citizen Groups to make inputs in helping parliamentarians make proper resource allocations. Lawyers Alert made its presentation seeking increased HIV funding in Nigeria given especially, the dwindling funding from the International community at the Hearing.

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Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with an estimated 175 million inhabitants. Research in 2013 showed that HIV constitutes a major public health concern in Nigeria and that the country has the second-largest burden of HIV in Africa with an estimated 3.4 million people living with the virus in 2013.

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1) Denial of Hostel Accommodation In University Of Bingham, Karu, Nassarawa State. 2 undergraduate students, a male, and a female were denied accommodation in the University hostels of the above-named institution owing to their HIV status. Lawyers Alert engaged the University via correspondences and meetings for a reversal of this discriminatory practice.

 

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