UN Women, Disability Advocates Back 220-Hour Marathon to Combat Gender-Based Violence

…Eyong says legal awareness key to protecting women, girls; Alta demands accessible police stations, courts, hospitals for survivors with disabilities

By: Michael Mike

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and disability rights advocates have thrown their weight behind a 220-hour reading marathon aimed at exposing gaps in the protection of women and girls against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) across Nigeria and 14 other African countries.

The initiative, spearheaded by Olubunmi Uluba, seeks to raise public awareness of existing laws, human rights instruments and survivor protection frameworks through a nine-day, four-hour marathon reading aloud, while drawing attention to the persistent disconnect between legal protections and the ability of women and girls to access justice.

The exercise, which also seeks to set a Guinness World Record for the longest marathon reading aloud, has been described by UN Women as an opportunity to turn legal knowledge into an instrument of public education, human rights advocacy and social transformation.

Speaking at a press conference, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Beatrice Eyong, said the fight against gender-based violence must move beyond statistics, policies and legislative reforms to address the human experiences behind the figures.

She said behind every statistic was a survivor seeking justice, a young girl yearning for safety and a community striving to protect human dignity.

Eyong noted that SGBV remained one of the most persistent human rights challenges confronting Nigeria, Africa and the international community, identifying the gap between existing laws and public awareness of legal protections as a major obstacle to tackling the menace.

According to her, many women and girls remain unaware of their rights, the legal safeguards available to them and where to seek assistance when their rights are violated.

She said the 220-hour marathon was significant because it would bring legal frameworks and human rights instruments from 15 African countries closer to the people they were designed to protect.

Through the exercise, Uluba is expected to read relevant legal provisions and survivor protection laws, helping to translate often inaccessible legal documents into practical knowledge that can empower individuals and communities.

Eyong said every hour devoted to reading presented an opportunity for someone to understand their rights, recognise different forms of violence, appreciate the importance of consent or discover where survivors could obtain assistance.

She stressed that knowledge was an essential tool for preventing violence, protecting vulnerable populations and improving access to justice.

The UN Women representative said the initiative reflected the organisation’s conviction that gender equality and the elimination of violence against women and girls were non-negotiable.

She also situated the campaign within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on gender equality, Goal 4 on quality education and Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

Eyong, however, emphasised that ending gender-based violence could not be left to governments or development organisations alone, calling for a collective response involving traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, the media, families, men and boys.

She urged stakeholders to challenge harmful social norms, promote accountability and build communities where violence against women and girls was neither tolerated nor normalised.

Commending Uluba’s courage and determination, Eyong said the initiative demonstrated how individual commitment and public advocacy could inspire wider movements for social change.

She expressed UN Women’s solidarity with the organiser, wishing her strength, good health and success throughout the marathon.

However, the intervention by the disability rights community highlighted another critical dimension of the campaign: the additional barriers confronting women and girls with disabilities in accessing protection and justice when they experience sexual and gender-based violence.

Founder and President of the Network of Women with Disabilities, Hon. Lois Auta, said her organisation’s support for the initiative was driven by the need to break the silence surrounding violence against women, particularly those living with disabilities.

She observed that survivors with disabilities often faced multiple obstacles when attempting to report abuse, obtain medical attention or pursue justice.

Among the challenges she identified were inaccessible police stations, the absence of sign language interpreters, inadequate medical facilities and discriminatory practices within the justice system.

According to her, these barriers frequently discourage survivors from reporting violations and pursuing justice, leaving perpetrators with opportunities to evade accountability.

Auta argued that the existence of laws protecting women and persons with disabilities would have limited impact if survivors could not access the institutions responsible for enforcing them.

She therefore insisted that the reading marathon must go beyond reciting legal provisions to ensuring that their contents were understood, accessible and effectively implemented.

She called for legal information to be translated into Braille for visually impaired persons, simplified and easy-to-read formats for individuals with intellectual and learning disabilities, and sign language interpretation for people with hearing impairments.

The disability rights advocate also urged governments to domesticate, adequately fund and enforce disability rights legislation, while calling on the police and judiciary to strengthen the capacity of their personnel to respond appropriately to cases involving survivors with disabilities.

She stressed the need to make police stations, hospitals and courts physically and institutionally accessible, noting that equal protection under the law must extend to women and girls regardless of their disabilities.

Auta further challenged civil society organisations to move beyond token representation by actively involving women with disabilities in the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes affecting them.

She invoked the disability rights principle, “Nothing about us without us”, arguing that women with disabilities must be recognised as active participants in decisions concerning their safety, rights and welfare.

She also appealed to the media to sustain coverage throughout the nine-day exercise rather than concentrating attention on its opening ceremony, stressing that continuous public engagement was necessary to achieve the campaign’s broader objectives.

Both speakers called for a coordinated national and regional response to gender-based violence, emphasising that legislation alone could not eliminate abuse without sustained public education, effective enforcement and changes in social attitudes.

While Eyong underscored the importance of making legal protections known to the public, Alta drew attention to the practical barriers that prevent some of the most vulnerable survivors from benefiting from those protections.

Their positions converge on a fundamental challenge confronting the campaign against gender-based violence: ensuring that the rights guaranteed by law translate into protection, support and justice for every woman and girl.

For Uluba, the 220-hour marathon represents an attempt to use an extraordinary endurance challenge to sustain public attention on an issue that continues to affect millions of women and girls.

But Eyong said the ultimate achievement must extend beyond breaking a Guinness World Record to breaking the silence surrounding violence, changing attitudes and ensuring that women and girls can live with dignity, safety and freedom from abuse.

The broader test of the initiative, therefore, will be whether the knowledge generated translates into greater awareness of legal rights, improved access to support services, stronger institutional accountability and an inclusive justice system that leaves no survivor behind.

UN Women, Disability Advocates Back 220-Hour Marathon to Combat Gender-Based Violence

KACRAN Applauds Tinubu over Yobe Cargo Airport Takeover, Urges Buni to Invest Refund in Agriculture

…Says Federal ownership will boost North-East exports, create jobs, attract investors

By: Michael Mike

The Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has described the Federal Government’s takeover of the Yobe International Cargo Airport as a strategic economic intervention capable of transforming the North-East into a major agricultural, livestock and commercial export hub.

The association also urged Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, to channel part of the billions of naira expected as reimbursement for the airport project into agriculture, commerce, water supply, rural infrastructure and other critical sectors

KACRAN National President, Hon. Khalil Mohd Bello, in a statement, commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the takeover and reimbursement of the investment made by the Yobe State Government, describing the decision as a masterstroke for national economic development.

He also applauded members of the National Assembly for approving the promissory note for the reimbursement, expressing optimism that Federal Government ownership would accelerate the airport’s full operationalisation as an international cargo hub.

Bello said the facility, when fully operational, would serve not only Yobe but the entire North-East, neighbouring countries and the wider business community by providing an efficient channel for transporting agricultural produce, livestock products and manufactured goods to domestic and international markets.

He credited former Yobe Governor and Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, with initiating the airport project, while commending Buni for sustaining its construction despite the enormous financial demands.

The KACRAN president described Buni’s decision to hand over the airport to the Federal Government as an act of patriotism and statesmanship, saying it reflected his commitment to regional and national economic development.

According to him, the airport’s economic significance extends beyond aviation, as it could stimulate investment in agriculture, livestock processing, fisheries, mining and other commercial activities across the region.

He identified sesame seeds, gum arabic, beans, groundnuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, cattle, sheep, goats and fisheries products as some of the commodities the North-East could export through the facility.
Bello particularly advocated the establishment of modern, internationally certified halal meat processing and export centres to enable the region to move beyond the traditional sale of live animals to exporting processed beef, mutton and goat meat.

He said such facilities could open access to markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Asia while creating investment opportunities in abattoirs, cold-storage facilities, milk industries, food processing and logistics.

The association said the airport could also strengthen regional economic integration by positioning Damaturu as a commercial gateway serving Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba states, as well as neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Bello further said the airport’s operationalisation could generate employment across the agricultural and livestock value chains, increase foreign exchange earnings, reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ incomes.

The association also linked the airport project to the North-East Development Commission’s planned deployment of more than 10,000 electric tricycles, taxis and buses across the region.

It commended the NEDC Managing Director, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali, Executive Director, Administration and Finance, Dr Garba Iliya, and other management staff for organising sensitisation workshops on electric vehicles across the six North-East states ahead of the planned deployment.

Turning to the expected reimbursement to Yobe State, Bello appealed to Buni to invest part of the funds in expanding agricultural production, particularly in areas with strong potential for food production.

He cited Machina Local Government Area’s capacity for beans production and Gaidam’s potential for onions and other food ingredients, urging the state government to strengthen the agricultural sector to support food security and commercial exports.

He also called for additional investment in modern markets, noting that such facilities could stimulate commercial activities, create employment and strengthen the state’s economy.

Other priority areas identified by KACRAN include solar-powered boreholes in grazing reserves and other pastoral communities, planting of about 10,000 economic and mango trees, and construction of rural roads linking farming communities to Damaturu and the cargo airport.

The association further urged the governor to allocate resources to education, healthcare, security, youth and women’s empowerment, small-scale industries and accessible soft loans for traders, business owners and pastoralists.

Bello called on other North-East states to identify their competitive agricultural and industrial products, invest in processing facilities and take advantage of the cargo airport to expand exports.

He said coordinated efforts by the six states would maximise the economic benefits of the facility and strengthen the North-East’s contribution to national development.

KACRAN Applauds Tinubu over Yobe Cargo Airport Takeover, Urges Buni to Invest Refund in Agriculture

Why Would the Military Ignore a Soldier Celebrating Convicted Terrorist Nnamdi Kanu?

By: Zagazola Makama

There is something profoundly disturbing about the argument being advanced by those demanding the intervention of Tarok military generals over the detention of Gabriel Lamdip, popularly known as the “Push Up King.”

The attempt to turn this matter into an ethnic solidarity campaign, while conveniently ignoring the gravity of the alleged conduct, is both misplaced and deeply troubling. The question is not whether Lamdip is Tarok, whether he enjoys the support of influential military officers or whether his family deserves compassion.

The real question is simple: Can a serving soldier publicly demonstrate solidarity with a separatist figure associated with violence against Nigerian security personnel and expect the military to look the other way?

Absolutely not!

Let us stop hiding behind sentiment and confront the issue squarely. A serving soldier is not an ordinary civilian. He wears the uniform of the Nigerian Armed Forces, carries the responsibility of defending the Constitution and has sworn allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His conduct, particularly on matters touching national security, separatist agitation and threats to national unity, must reflect the discipline and loyalty expected of a member of the military.

If the video in question shows Lamdip performing push-ups in apparent solidarity with Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), then the matter deserves serious institutional attention. The explanation that Kanu shares a birthday with the soldier’s son does not automatically erase the implications of such an act.

Since when did a child’s birthday become a convenient excuse for a serving soldier to publicly associate himself with a figure whose movement has been linked by the Nigerian government to deadly attacks against members of the nation’s security forces?

This is not about denying anyone the right to hold personal opinions. It is about the special obligations that come with wearing a military uniform. The Armed Forces are not a social club where personnel can freely blur the line between personal admiration, political activism and institutional loyalty.

And those rushing to condemn the Army for investigating this matter should first remember the blood of Nigerian security personnel shed in the violence associated with IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The record is grim.

On May 3, 2022, Master Warrant Officer Audu Linus and Private Gloria Mathew were abducted while travelling in Imo State. They were brutally murdered and beheaded. In a statement issued the following day, the Presidency attributed the killings to IPOB and condemned the gruesome crime.

On July 13, 2021, an attack on troops at the Iggah/Asaba checkpoint in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State reportedly left two soldiers dead. The Nigerian Army attributed the attack to IPOB and its Eastern Security Network.

In November 2021, two police inspectors, identified as Akubo and Adamu, were abducted and murdered. Their bodies were reportedly decapitated, while footage of the killings was circulated. The Federal Government attributed the operation to IPOB members.

On May 30, 2024, armed men attacked a military checkpoint in Abia State. The Nigerian Army blamed IPOB for the attack, which reportedly killed five soldiers. Six civilians also died in the violence, according to an account cited in the UK government’s country report.

The figures announced by the Federal Government are equally alarming. In October 2021, the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, disclosed that a government committee had attributed 175 security personnel deaths between October 2020 and June 2021 to IPOB and ESN. The figure comprised 128 police officers, 37 military personnel and 10 other security operatives.

The committee also attributed 164 attacks on police stations and security formations to the group.
These were official government figures, and they paint a disturbing picture of the scale of violence confronting security institutions during that period.

Beyond attacks on security personnel, communities in the South-East have also endured killings, abductions, intimidation, attacks on public infrastructure and the violent enforcement of sit-at-home orders. Ordinary citizens, traders, transport operators, civil servants and other residents have paid a heavy price for the activities of armed groups operating under separatist banners. So, what exactly are the critics asking the Nigerian Army to do? Look away? Pretend that nothing happened.

The Army is not a private association belonging to any ethnic group. It is a national institution. Its loyalty is to Nigeria, not to ethnic pressure groups, political sympathisers or individuals who believe that connections and influence should place someone beyond scrutiny.

If Lamdip has done nothing wrong, he should have nothing to fear from a fair and transparent investigation. But if the evidence establishes a breach of military regulations, he must face the appropriate consequences under the law.

Why Would the Military Ignore a Soldier Celebrating Convicted Terrorist Nnamdi Kanu?