DEPOWA seeks end to sexual abuse in barracks

• Published On: 29 June 2024 at 16:34

The Defence and Police Officers' Wives Association has issued a request to end sexual assault in barrack communities and across the country.

This came as the association condemned the prevalence of sexual abuse and exploitation in society, noting that many incidents go unreported.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund, six out of every ten children are victims of violence, while one in every four girls and 10% of boys have been sexually abused.

Speaking on Saturday during a seminar for barracks youths in Abuja to commemorate her one-year in office, DEPOWA President Oghogho Musa expressed her organization's intention to decrease the menace within barrack communities.


She stated, "The threat of sexual exploitation and abuse is widespread in our culture; many events go unreported, and the barracks community and its surroundings are no exception.

"Today we have the opportunity to discuss this, and we repeat the words of Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, who stated, 'Sexual exploitation and abuse have no place in our society'.


Ekiti promises to stop sexual abuse and violence.
"We recognize the severity of the consequences and we aim to work towards reducing its prevalence within our communities and immediate environs."


Musa vowed to provide necessary help to victims of sexual exploitation who speak out.

She went on: "I pledge to support any victim who reports any form of sexual exploitation, or any attempt to be initiated into the use of illicit substances within our domain."We urge the proper authorities to investigate and address any of these threats that are disclosed. Indeed, abusers should be held accountable".

Earlier, Mrs Isabella Okosun, Chairman of the Planning Committee, stated that the incidence of sexual abuse demanded sensitisation.

She stated that youths are more vulnerable to sexual and drug misuse, thus it is critical to provide them with the required information.