By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – The Enugu State Police Command is to partner with relevant organisations and groups in the campaign for elimination of all forms of violence against women in the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Douglas Agbonleni, made this known while declaring open a women empowerment training organised by the South-Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) on Saturday.
“As a command, we have stood for the protection of women against harmful societal and cultural practices that retard their socio-economic development.
“We urge all women as well as women groups to key into this programme to attract fairness and justice and stand out for their rights,’’ Agbonleni said.
The commissioner, who was represented by Officer-in-charge of Community Policing in the command, Mr Philip Arugbukam, said that the command had continued to partner with the Sister Guardian Initiative through community policing to eliminate all forms of gender violence.
Earlier, the Executive Director of SSDO, Mrs Grace Chinegwundoh-Nwobodo, said that the training would provide an opportunity for women to be reassured of the support of police command in the campaign against violence against them in their different communities.
The SSDO boss said that Sister Guardian Initiative, which is a support group founded by SSDO in 2014 to train women, would assist women facing violence at community levels to provide immediate support.
NAN reports that participants at the training will go through topics such as ”Implication of Domestic Violence”, ”How to Report Cases of Domestic Violence to the Community Police” as well as “Crime Prevention Strategies and Security Tips”.
Women from Akpuoga-Nike; Igba-Nkwu and Onuogba-Nike communities as well as some drawn from Nsukka, Uzo-Uwani, Isi-Uzo and Oji-River council areas of Enugu State attended the training.
The training is in continuation of celebration of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.