The Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Kaduna state has recorded 1,162 cases of sexual and gender-based violence since its inception in 2019, an official, Mrs Grace Yohanna-Abbim, has said.
Mrs Yohanna-Abbim, the manager of the centre, located within the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital, Kafanchan, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.
She said the number of recorded cases covered the period since its inception to April 30, adding that women and children were the most affected.
“As at 2019 when the centre was opened, we had 219 reported cases. In 2020 we recorded 582 and from January to April 30, we have 361; making it 1,162 cases,’’ the manager said.
Giving a breakdown of the cases, Mrs Yohanna-Abbim said by gender, 987 females and 175 males were attended to with 238 below 17 years of age, while 924 were adults aged 18 and above.
The manager added that 180 cases were connected to rape while 982 were indecent assaults.
She explained that the centre had embarked on sensitisation campaigns for zero tolerance to sexual and gender-based violence to Jema’a and Kajuru local government areas.
She further said the sensitization was supported by Nigeria Early Recovery Initiative-Creative (NERI-USAID) in partnership with the Kaduna State Ministry of Human Services and Social Development.
She added that SARC’s vision was to attain a society free from all forms of sexual and gender-based violence with the collaboration of every stakeholder.
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