The Kebbi State Chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), has conferred an award of honour to the First Lady of Kebbi state, H.E Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu in appreciation of her efforts in the fight against Gender-Based Violence in the state and the country at large. It was presented at the association’s award night and IWD celebration on Friday, 19/03/2021 in Birnin Kebbi.

Speaking at the occasion, H.E Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu thanked FIDA for being able partners in the struggle to have Gender protective laws passed in Kebbi state. She advocated education and a culture of awareness, discouraged stereotypes and superstitious beliefs and called on society to equip young girls with the confidence to call out perpetrators as a way to fight the scourge.

The Kebbi First Lady spoke on activities of the Nigerian Governors Wives Forum NGWF and their efforts to bring these problems to the fore. She used the opportunity to present a grant of N100,000 each from the Forum to two survivors and from 9 of N50,000 each to other survivors present on the night. Each recipient had a sadly moving story. Examples include 3 nursing mothers raped by one man (who claimed to be a Mahdi and conned them separately with a fake story of how he flies by magic to Mecca 5 times in a day to say his prayers) and an 8 year old with unrepairable fistula etc following rape. The grants will help support the women in restoring normalcy to their lives.

Earlier, FIDA president Barrister Kudirat Shuaibu in her welcome messages described Dr Bagudu as the champion of GBV advocacy in Kebbi and one who is passionate about curbing the scourge.

Also honoured was Justice Halima Aliyu Yauri, a serving high court judge in the presence of other distinguished ladies such as Justice Asabe Karatu, former acting CJ and Justice Nusirat Ibrahim Umar.

Highlights of the event were the recitation of a poem on GBV and the first public sighting of a transformed Jibril Aliyu, the abused boy tied to an animal stall by stepmothers.

MUKTAR ABUBAKAR BAGUDO
SSA, OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY
GOVERNMENT HOUSE BIRNIN KEBBI
21/03/2021