GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA

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GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT
IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-
   MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE
        PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA

                                     MAY 2021
GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
Gender Baseline Assessment

                                  TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                                    3

1    INTRODUCTION                                                    7
        1.1       Background                                         7
        1.2       Aim of the Study                                   7
2    DESCRIPTION OF CONTEXT AND RISKS                                9
        2.1       Federal Capital Territory - Abuja                  12
        2.2       North-East                                         14
3    CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK                                           15
        3.1       Insurgency                                         15
        3.2       Explosive Ordnance                                 15
        3.3       The Nigeria Police Force                           16
        3.4       Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)   23
        3.5       Borno State                                        23
        3.6       Adamawa State                                      24
        3.7       Yobe State                                         26
4    METHODOLOGY AND JUSTIFICATION                                   27
        4.1       Research Design                                    27
        4.3       Sampling Design                                    27
        4.4       Data Gathering Procedure                           27
        4.5       Data Gathering Instruments                         27
        4.6       Primary Sources                                    28
        4.7       Secondary Sources                                  28
        4.8       Statistical Treatment of Data                      29
        4.9       Limitation Of The Study                            29
5.   FINDINGS                                                        30
        5.1       National Level (Abuja)                             30
        5.2       Borno State - Findings                             34
        5.3       Adamawa State -Findings                            41
        5.4       Yobe State -Findings                               45
6.   CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS                                  51
        6.1       RECOMMENDATIONS                                    51
        6.2       CONCLUSION                                         53
        FEDERAL LEVEL KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS                       54
        STATE LEVEL KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS                         56
        FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS                                      58

     APPENDIXES                                                      68

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GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
DISCLAIMER

This Assessment Report is prepared by Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) which was engaged
with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit of the National Police Force (NPF) and Chemical
Biological Radiological Nuclear Explosive unit of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC). The data and information have been collected between August 2020 and February 2021.
The Report was written at the request of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to
ensure gender sensitized projects are delivered to the national security service providers in Nigeria.

The Report has been prepared for the purpose set out in the Terms of Reference entitled “Gender
Baseline Assessment in strengthening explosive ordnance threat-mitigation capacities of security
service providers in northeast Nigeria”. PWAN understands that UNMAS will provide a copy of this
Report to NPF and NSCDC. UNMAS agrees that a copy of the Report can be provided to NPF and
NSCDC and also be released publically on the basis that it is published for general information only
and that UNMAS does not accept any duty, liability or responsibility to any person (other than
PWAN) in relation to this Report.

Readers of this Report should seek independent expert advice as this report was not prepared for
them or for any other purpose than that detailed in the engagement terms with PWAN and cannot
be relied upon other than for this. Information contained in the Report is current as at the date of the
Report and may not reflect any event or circumstances which occur a er the date of the Report. All
queries related to the content, or to any use of this report must be addressed to PWAN.
GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The preparation of the Gender Baseline Assessment report towards strengthening Explosive
Ordnance threat mitigation capacities of security service providers in North-East Nigeria has been a
collaborative e ort. The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West
Africa Nigeria (PWAN) is a non-governmental organization aimed at promoting good governance,
accountability and transparency by expanding opportunities for citizens’ engagement. As part of
our Citizen Security program area, PWAN was commissioned by the United Nations Mine Action
Service (UNMAS) to conduct this gender baseline assessment with financial support from the
Government of Germany.

The cooperation and contributions of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit of the Nigeria
Police Force, and Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Explosive (CBRNE) unit of the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the FCT, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states is highly
appreciated.

The findings from the state level were developed by Mr. Bashir Olasupo, Dr. Abubakar Muazu, Dr.
Cli ord Gbeyonron who conducted field research and developed the reports for Adamawa, Borno
and Yobe states respectively. Findings from the Federal level and supervision of the state level
research was provided by the research team lead, DIG Peace Abdallah (Rtd). PWAN wishes to
appreciate their commitment towards the development of this report.

PWAN acknowledges the e orts of Gilles Delecourt, Programme Manager, UNMAS, Harshi
Gunawardana, Programme and Communications O cer, UNMAS, and Giorgia Depaoli, UNMAS -
UNOPS PSC Global Gender and Diversity Advisor in reviewing and producing a final version of the
report. Finally, the e orts and commitment of PWAN sta led by the Citizens Security Program
Manager, Ms. Tolu Ojeshina, should also be applauded. We also appreciate the guidance and
leadership of the Executive Director of PWAN- 'Kemi Okenyodo.
GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
Gender Baseline Assessment

                                  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This gender baseline assessment was focused                UNMAS has been coordinating mine action
on the departments of two security service                 operations since 2018. Nigeria has continued
providers - the Explosive Ordnance Disposal                to experience casualties in 2018, 2019 and
(EOD) unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)               2020 from Non-State Armed Groups
and the Chemical Biological Radiological                   (NSAGs) widespread use of explosive devices,
Nuclear Explosive (CBRNE) unit of the Nigeria              including landmines of an improvised nature in
Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).                  the BAY states located in the North-East.

The NPF is the leading and foremost Law                    Borno state has been most impacted with
E nfo rc e m e nt O rg a n i zat i o n i n N i g e r i a   reports of victim-activated devices detonated
responsible for the prevention and detection of            in 76% of the Local Government Areas
crime, maintaining public safety, law and order,           (LGAs); Adamawa and Yobe states are also
protection of lives and property and the                   a ected as victim-activated devices have
enforcement of all laws and regulations with               been detonated in 52% of the LGAs.
which they are directly charged.
                                                           This study employed a mixed method design.
The NSCDC is a paramilitary agency of the                  The research team engaged with relevant
Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria              o cials from the EOD and CBRNE gender
with a mandate to provide measures against                 units, administrative units, and operations units
threat and any form of attack or disaster against          at the national and state levels of the two
the nation and its citizenry. Their duties and             security service providers. The findings from
responsibilities include securing the state and            this study show that:
the people for peace, justice, freedom, fair play
and orderliness.                                           Ÿ   Deployment into the EOD and CBRNE is
                                                               voluntary and is open to both male and
The two units- EOD and CBRNE, share similar                    female o cers a er enlistment into the
responsibilities of identification,                             NPF and NSCDC.
recovery/evacuation and demolition of
Unexploded Ordnance (UXOs), detection and                  Ÿ   At the national level, the policy requiring
identification of radioactive materials out of                  prospective candidates to have a science
regulatory control and physical supervision,                   based educational background is obsolete.
security and monitoring of movement, usage                     However, state commands still maintain
and storage of chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear and explosive materials.

Findings of this study will support the United             The NPF is the leading and foremost
Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) project                  Law Enforcement Organization in
plans as they partner with the two security                         Nigeria responsible for the
institutions on capacity building activities in
explosive ordnance threat mitigation.                       prevention and detection of crime,
                                                             maintaining public safety, law and
This study focused on the EOD unit of the NPF                    order, protection of lives and
and CBRNE unit of the NSCDC in Borno,                                                  property
Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states where

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GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
Gender Baseline Assessment

     this requirement, and this may be a                contributing to a change in perspective of
     contributory factor to the limited number of       female o cers; they have been able to
     female o cers within the unit.                     recognize the unique roles that can be
                                                        played by women in Security Sector
Ÿ    The NPF does not recruit married women,            Institutions (SSIs) in explosive ordnance
     however the NSCDC does. Certain levels of          detection and disposal.
     gender inequality in regulations, especially
     in the Police, are yet to be expunged. These   Ÿ   Despite the fact that the Nigeria Police
     include provisions that women are to               Force has a gender policy and NSCDC is in
     perform only tra c control and                     the process of completing its policy and
     administrative duties related to women and         that the country has a Women Peace and
     children.                                          Security (WPS) Action plan, gender
                                                        mainstreaming is yet to be accepted and
Ÿ    At present, the EOD and CBRNE units do             implemented by the leadership of the two
     not have any female o cers within its              institutions.
     leadership.

Ÿ    Cultural and religious norms have been         Ÿ   The CBRNE and EOD units have training
     identified as impediments in some                   schools in the Federal Capital Territory
     instances, to the recruitment of women into        (FCT) and Lagos, respectively. These
     the two institutions, especially within the        schools receive support on capacity
     Northern region of the country. The low            building from local, regional, and
     representation of women within the EOD             international organizations including the
     and CBRNE units is a direct consequence of         United Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
     this gender disparity at the stage of              There is limited participation of female
     recruitment.                                       o cers within the training institutions due
                                                        to the limited number who volunteer to join
Ÿ    Some female o cers are of the opinion that         the unit. Female o cers within the unit are
     the functions of the EOD unit are more             of the junior cadre and are not within
     suited to men due to the high-risk nature of       management or any other related positions.
     the unit. However, the prevalence of female
     suicide bombers, and the fact that women
     are the most a ected by explosions may be

      Despite the fact that the Nigeria Police Force has a gender policy and
    NSCDC is in the process of completing its policy and that the country has
    a Women Peace and Security (WPS) Action plan, gender mainstreaming
      is yet to be accepted and implemented by the leadership of the two
                                   institutions.

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GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
Gender Baseline Assessment

Key recommendations from the study include the following:

Ÿ   G e n d e r p a r i t y m u s t b e t a ke n i n t o           policies should equally address gender
    consideration during training exercises for                    sensitivity to include more female o cers at
    the EOD and CBRNE units. This can be                           the management and decision-making
    achieved by specifically requesting for                         levels of the NPF and NSCDC. The Federal
    female o cers to participate in the training                   Ministry of Women A airs charged with
    sessions. Specially designed sensitization                     ensuring compliance of Nigeria's adoption
    and orientation courses targeting female                       of the UNSCR1325 should partner with
    o cers from other operational units should                     UNMAS to promote NPF and NSCDC to
    be carried out with the aim of providing                       formulate and adopt gender policies that
    b a c k g ro u n d k n ow l e d g e , fu n c t i o n s ,       should deploy more female o cers as heads
    relevance and importance of the EOD and                        of specialized operational departments
    CBRNE units to encourage more volunteers                       such as the EOD and CBRNE respectively.
    to join.
                                                               Ÿ   Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) should
Ÿ   Deployment to the EOD and CBRNE units is                       engage communities, traditional and
    voluntary; however, inconsistencies on the                     religious leaders in particular, in the North-
    requirement for a science-based                                East to support the need for women to
    educational background at the national and                     participate in the Security Service Provider
    state levels might pose a challenge for                        Sectors. These leaders should be educated
    o cers without that background willing to                      on the key role of women in Peace and
    join both units. The elimination of this                       Security given the large numbers of women
    requirement should be enforced at the state                    and children who are victims and also
    level, to ensure that all o cers are provided                  suicide bombers in the conflict a ected
    the opportunity to participate in explosive                    areas in the BAY states.
    ordnance disposal.
                                                               Ÿ   The United Nations Mine Action Service
Ÿ   Female o cers who are deployed to more                         (UNMAS) should engage with the EOD and
    decision making and operational o ces                          CBRNE units on the need for gender parity
    within the EOD and CBRNE, should be                            and inclusion of women in explosive
    sensitized on the duties, functions, and                       ordnance response. Engagement should be
    importance of the EOD and CBRNE units.                         carried out at the headquarters level with
    The importance of the inclusion of female                      senior management of both agencies to
    o cers within both units should                                promote institutionalization of reforms;
    emphasized, especially considering the                         engagement and advocacy with o cers in
    relevant number of suicide bombers and                         charge at the state level is also necessary to
    victims that are women.                                        ensure implementation of reforms.

Ÿ   The two institutions need to adopt gender
    policies to e ectively address gender
    inequality issues contained in their
    regulatory acts and orders. The gender

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GENDER BASELINE ASSESSMENT - IN STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION CAPACITIES OF SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA
GENDER BASELINE
ASSESSMENT IN
STRENGTHENING EXPLOSIVE
ORDNANCE THREAT-MITIGATION
CAPACITIES OF SECURITY
SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NORTH-
EAST NIGERIA
Gender Baseline Assessment

                                     INTRODUCTION
Background
                                                     realize their rights and potential in their day-
The conflict in north-east Nigeria is in its tenth    to-day operations and the factors that
year and continues to cause untold su ering for      contribute to gender disparity and inequalities
millions of Nigerians, particularly women and        between men and women.
children.

Over ³ ,    people have been killed in Borno,        Aim of the Study
Adamawa and Yobe (known as the 'BAY
States') since the conflict started in ² ;            This study is a gender baseline assessment of
almost half of them are civilians, countless         security forces related to the EOD unit of the
women and girls have been abducted, and              NPF and CBRNE unit of the NSCDC, with a
children have been dra ed as carriers of             focus on Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states
Person-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices            (BAY states) and the Federal Capital Territory
(PBIED).                                             (FCT), Abuja.
For instance, in ² ² , more than ¹ civilians were    The main objective is to contribute to the
killed, and ³² were injured as a result of ongoing   UNMAS training project plans to strengthen
military and non-state armed group (NSAG)            Explosive Ordnance threat-mitigation
activities. The majority of the victims are males.   capacities of security service providers in
In ² ¹ , civilians represented % of the victims      North-East Nigeria.
of explosive ordnance incidents, including
PBIEDs and Vehicle-Borne Improvised                  The study examines the correlation between
Explosive Devices (VBIEDs). ¹                        these factors with policy issues and cultures
                                                     that inhibit the e ectiveness of women in the
Women and girls are victims of sexual violence       activities of the EOD and CBRNE units.
and assault from insurgents and they are le to
deal with devastating consequences such as           The specific objectives are:
HIV infections, unintended pregnancies,
motherhood and other health-related                  Ÿ   Contribute to UNMAS understanding of
complications and trauma.                                the context, and inform realignment of
                                                         project activities to transform gender
The United Nations Mine Action Service                   dynamics in the light of strengthening
(UNMAS) works to eliminate the threat posed              explosive ordnance threat-mitigation
by mines, explosive remnants of war, and                 capacities of Security Service Providers
improvised explosive devices by coordinating             (NPF and NSCDC) in North-East Nigeria
United Nations mine action, leading
operational responses at the country level, and
supporting the development of standards and
                                                                       Over 36,000 people
policies.                                                          have been killed in Borno,
                                                                        Adamawa and Yobe
This gender baseline assessment of the                                  (known as the 'BAY
security service providers aims to determine
the gender gaps in terms of the extent to which
                                                                   States') since the conflict
the female security service providers can                                     started in 2009

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Gender Baseline Assessment

                                                      how to execute project activities on
Ÿ   Examine the understanding of project              capacity building to the benefit of all gender
    stakeholders (NPF and NSCDC) on the               groups while promoting the inclusion of
    gender dynamics, risks and opportunities in       female o cers and their empowerment.
    the operation areas.

Ÿ   Identify learning, documentation of good
    practices, and contribution to broader        Ÿ   Examine the factors behind the low
    advocacy on gender equality (Sustainable          numbers of female o cers in the EOD unit
    Development Goals 5) Recommend                    of the NPF and the CBRNE unit of the
    measures and strategies for stakeholders on       NSCDC.

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Gender Baseline Assessment

                   DESCRIPTION OF CONTEXT AND RISKS

Armed conflict prior to the Cold War era was            Other peacebuilding initiatives and
seen as war between sovereign states, but              movements employ essentialist definitions of
s i n c e t h e e n d o f t h e C o l d Wa r , t h e   women, confining them to their roles as
phenomenon of armed conflict has                        mothers and caregivers, and thus denying them
transformed with the rise of non-state armed           access to the broader agenda of peacebuilding
groups (NSAGs) against their own                       and conflict resolution.
government.
                                                       The patriarchal nature of Africa leaves its mark
The dynamics of conflicts have embraced a               on Nigeria with paucity of legal frameworks for
new trend of using sophisticated weapons to            inclusion of women in peacebuilding and
attack innocent civilians who cannot defend            conflict resolution. Also, militarization of
themselves.                                            peacebuilding processes is on the increase,
                                                       posing obstacles to implementing the Women,
Historically, violent clashes have been limited        Peace and Security agenda.
to the use of machetes, bows and arrows,
catapult; however, the systematic annihilations        This is compounded by low levels of literacy
adopted by the NSAG have led to severe                 among women which have resulted in them not
casualties among the vulnerable groups.                k n ow i n g t h e i r r i g h t s , p o t e n t i a l s , a n d
                                                       opportunities. Postcolonial African culture has
The largely intra-state coloration of these            not positioned women in places of authority
conflicts around the world has given a new role         since men are considered as the head of the
to women to take part in peacebuilding both at         household, community and religious circles.
the global, national and at the community
levels. This emerging role is closely knit to the      This has resulted in relegating women to the
landmark document of United Nations Security           background in the society, low levels of literacy
Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 rea rming              among women have resulted in them not
the importance of women's participation and            knowing their rights and opportunities.
involvement at all levels of the peace and
security agenda.                                       Since the 1967 civil war; the country in 1967,
                                                       Nigeria has experienced one form of violent
Therefore, those that do take into account             conflict to the other. The proliferation of small
issues of gender, overwhelmingly fail to               arms was attributed to electoral injustice, and
address structural inequalities and power              religious intolerance coupled with a high level
dynamics which are the foundation of gender            of poverty and unemployment, key elements
discrimination. Many of these arguments,               that are viewed as fuels for conflicts
especially those that have been brought into
mainstream discourse, are instrumentalist in           However, of all the triggers, arms proliferation
their approach, seeing women as instrumental           is believed to be responsible for Nigeria's
in bringing about sustainable peace, and               violent clashes. The phenomenon not only
focusing narrowly on 'what women can do for            encouraged rebel movements to raise arms
peace', neglecting the issue of what peace can         against their states, but it also made
do for women.                                          peacekeeping and humanitarian intervention
                                                       strenuous and even dangerous in the region.

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Gender Baseline Assessment

Criminality has negatively a ected economic         (IEDs), rifles, grenades, and tanks. The
development and Foreign Direct Investment           frequency and intensity of attacks and the
(FDI) as foreign investors find it unattractive to   consequent fatalities increased dramatically
do business in Nigeria.                             a er 2010. The group expanded beyond the
                                                    North-East into other Nigerian states and
NSAG, namely Boko Haram - Islamic State             internationally in 2011, with bombings.
West Africa Province (BH-ISWAP) faction,
and Boko Haram – Jama'atu Ahlus Sunna               NSAG does not just pose an existing threat to
Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad (BH-JAS) faction--            Nigeria, but it has disrupted governance and
continued to routinely carry-out attacks            caused a complex humanitarian emergency
against civilians and clash with national           around Lake Chad. Its strident messages
security forces for the control of territory.       exacerbate intra-Muslim tensions and worsen
                                                    Muslim-Christian relations in the region.
A third group, Ba Koura, has recently appeared
and has been seen operating mostly in Di a          The group is resilient and adaptive. In early
region of Niger. In September 2019, this group      2015, Nigerian and neighboring countries
pledged allegiance to BH-JAS. The NSAGs             militaries dislodged the sect from North-East
attacks and increased militarization in the         Nigerian towns it controlled; BH responded
region continue to have a devastating impact        with a new wave of rural massacres and suicide
on women and girls.                                 bombings, including bombings in Chad's capital
                                                    N'Djamena. This has led to the creation of the
In addition to NSAG's abduction of girls, their     Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) by the
recruitment as suicide bombers, sex-workers         Lake Chad Basin with Cameroon, Chad, Niger,
and forced laborers, NSAG's attacks are             and Nigeria.
leading to an increased rate of women and girls
internally displaced, who are forced to seek        NSAG has roots in North-East's religious
shelter in various Internally Displaced Persons     landscape and in intellectual currents
(IDPs) camps across the nation.                     connecting North-East Nigeria to the Middle
                                                    East. Theologically, BH resembles other
The UN O ce for the Coordination of                 "Salafi-Jihadi" movements around the
Humanitarian A airs (UNOCHA) estimates              world,although BH was also shaped by local
the number of persons internally displaced as a     dynamics of preaching and politics.
result of the conflict with NSAG in the north-
east to be 1.9 million with 7.9 million people      This external link changed the narratives of
a ected. A er more than ten years of conflict,       humanitarian emergencies created by the
the humanitarian crisis in the BAY states           activities of BH, evident in a surge in internal
remains one of the most severe in the world         displacements and exodus of rural people to
today. The majority of the people in need are in    other neighboring countries as refugees. The
Borno State, the epicenter of the crisis. One in    activities have gone beyond the use of
four of the a ected population is under 5 years     machetes, guns, burning down of houses to use
of age.                                             of IEDs with its collateral damages.

NSAG shi ed from primarily employing
guerrilla tactics and proselytizing to using        Like in any conflict, explosive munitions that did
bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices              not function properly or were abandoned,

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Gender Baseline Assessment

known as Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)          The NSAGs have been consistently associated
contaminate north-east Nigeria. Up to 10-         with territorial control, forced recruitment,
20% of the fired explosive munitions have          hostage-taking, and violence against women
malfunctioned. These incendiary devices           and girls as well as men and boys. BH is
range from small arms ammunition and air-         notorious for employing various tactics for
dropped bombs to include grenades, rockets,       terrorizing communities.
mortars, artillery and tank shells.

The rocket attack against Maiduguri on 23rd       In February 2014, 59 boys were killed at a
February 2019 illustrates this fact with one      Federal Government College in Buni Yadi,
unexploded 122mm rocket landing in the            Yobe State by BH, and girls were ordered to
vicinity of a primary school and another one      leave school and get married. A few months
landing in Teachers' Village IDP Camp.            later, in April 2014, over 200 schoolgirls were
                                                  abducted in Chibok, Borno State, with BH
There is a heightened risk to encounter ERW in    insisting that the girl child's education is taboo.
newly or temporarily accessible areas. With a     In February 2018, NSAG was also responsible
predominant agricultural sector, access to land   for the abduction of 110 schoolgirls in Dapchi,
and waters is hampered while land farmers,        Yobe State. Since 2013, at least 1,000 children
herders, fishermen, hunters, and traditional       have been abducted by NSAG.
beekeepers are at risk.
                                                  Some NSAGs are also associated with
There are two predominant uses of IEDs that       changing marriage practices and incentivizing
a ect civilians:                                  early marriage by forcing the victims to either
                                                  marry one of the armed group members or be
Ÿ   IEDs emplaced along roads,                    married out, since the victims are in their
Ÿ   PBIED attacks (notable carriers are women,    custody. In some communities, NSAGs have
    girls and boys).                              eased the cost of marriage ceremonies by
                                                  sponsoring them and ordering the payment of
The majority of incidents reported are Victim     dowry to the bride instead of her family,
Operated IED (VOIED), more precisely in the       thereby incentivizing girls to marry early.
form of Pressure Plates. They meet the            Reports document that families in NSAG
definition of a landmine and do not discriminate   a ected areas arrange early marriages for their
between security forces, civilians, and           daughters to reduce pressure on household
humanitarian-development actors.                  resources and in exchange for protection.

Since 2014, the Government of Nigeria and         Between 2009 and 2017, the Armed Conflict
the international community have provided         Location and Events Database (ACLED)
significant humanitarian assistance, with a        reports 2,378 conflict events across Nigeria
focus on saving lives in the three states most    with BH as an actor. During this period, the BAY
a ected by the conflict. In recent years (2016-    States experienced the highest number of
2017), this has been accompanied by a             conflict events associated with the NSAG with
mobilization of development partners,             1,678, 219, and 179 events, respectively. For
coordinated by the government, to support the     instance, a total of 1,947 cases of recruitment
stabilization and recovery of conflict-a ected     and use of children by armed groups were
areas, working in line with the humanitarian      reported in 2018. Sexual and gender-based
actors.                                           violence is pervasive, with 99% of reported
                                                  cases being against women and girls.

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Gender Baseline Assessment

Federal Capital Territory - Abuja                    Nigeria has had to grapple with ethno-religious
                                                     conflicts, insurgency and banditry that have led
                                                     to destructions of lives and property at one
Nigeria lies between latitude 40˚ and 140˚           point or the other.
north of the equator and longitudes 30˚ and          Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, located in
140˚ east of the Greenwich Meridian. The             the center of the country within the FCT. The
country lies entirely within the tropical zone. It   FCT is a microcosm of Nigeria in terms of the
occupies about 923 773 km2 (about 3% of              ethnographic and demographic
Africa's landscape). The last census in Nigeria      characteristics, all ethnic groups and religions
was in 2006 with a population of 140 million.        are accommodated. As the city became the
                                                     Federal Capital, virtually all parastatals,
According to the United Nations data, the            agencies and the private sector have their
Nigerian population by July 2020 is estimated        headquarters in Abuja.
at 206,139,589. However, the exact size of the
population and its growth rate has long been a       The city has been subjected to several
contentious issue because of their implications      bombardments at various times. On the 01
for ethnic balance, electoral competition and        October 2010, explosions near the Eagle
the allocation of federal revenue.                   Square, venue of the nation's Independence
                                                     Day celebrations, claimed 12 lives, leaving
The natural resources and the geo-strategic          many injured. Again, on 31st December 2010,
location in West Africa make Nigeria a key           an explosion at Mogadishu Cantonment
player within the continent and also globally.       Mammy Market, Abuja, claimed about 10 lives.
The geographical location of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria is on the Gulf of Guinea in      On the 16th of June 2011, the Nigeria Police
Western Africa, between Benin in the West            Force headquarters was bombed by a
and Cameroon in the East. In the North are           suspected suicide bomber. Three persons
Chad (NE) and Niger (NW).                            were killed, and many vehicles damaged. On
                                                     August 26, 2011, a suicide bomber drove into
Nigeria operates a Presidential system of            the United Nations building in Abuja, killing 25
government and has 36 federating units and           persons and injuring 60. On the 25th of June,
the Federal capital. Nigeria has six geo-            2014, a bomb attack on a busy shopping district
political zones, namely: North-west, North-          killed at least 21 people and injured 52 more.
east, North-central, South-west, South-east
and South-South. There are two Houses of             The legal framework for the Explosive Act in
Parliament- The House of Representatives and         Nigeria was created in 1964 and the Explosive
the Senate which form the legislative arm of         Regulations 1967 to guide the activities
government.                                          surrounding explosive activities such as
                                                     purchase, and transportation, usage, among
The cultural, religious, and social heterogeneity    others. The NPF is the only security agency
remain agents of diversity rather than unity.        mentioned in the Act for enforcement
Many of the internal conflicts witnessed in the       purposes with the Ministry of Mines and Power
country are a ermaths of the polarization and        as supervising Ministry.
have remained the bane of Nigeria's tortuous
history of instability and underdevelopment          The Federal Republic of Nigeria signed the
that has not known any détente.                      Convention on Cluster Munitions on 12 June
                                                     2009 but has not ratified the Convention. The

                                                                                                        12
Gender Baseline Assessment

process for ratification appears to be relatively      With a relatively strong focus on recruitment
slow due to lack of prioritization. Moreover,         and retention of women in the security sector
Nigeria voted in favor of a key UN General            and in line with the 2008 National Gender
Assembly (UNGA) Resolution Promoting                  Policy, the NAP provided that "women should
Implementation and Universalization of the            form at least 35% of the military and security
Convention in December 2018.                          forces in the country. The second National
                                                      Action Plan for the period of 2017-2020 was
This includes removing legislations and other         launched by the Federal Ministry of Women
barriers for women's participation and also           A airs and Social Development on the 9th of
providing technical and financial support to           May 2017. This updated plan identified violent
women's organizations and leaders to address          extremism and post-conflict and reintegration
the gender dimensions of armed conflict and            issues.
enhance women's participation in peace
processes.                                            In addition to the finalizing NAPs for the
                                                      implementation of UNSCR 1325, Nigeria has
In post-conflict societies, this support is critical   ratified international treaties and conventions
as institutions are redefined, restructured or         such as the Convention on the Elimination on
newly created and new laws and regulations            All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
are developed.                                        (CEDAW), the Optional Protocol to CEDAW
                                                      as well as the Protocol to the African Charter
The National Action Plan (NAP) under UNSCR            on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of
1325 in Nigeria, which was launched in 2013 by        Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol). The
the Federal Ministry of Women A airs, sought          Federal Government of Nigeria also adopted a
to promote the participation and                      National Gender Policy in 2006.
representation of women in all peacekeeping,
peace negotiations, peacebuilding and post-
conflict activities as well as in the decision-
making processes.
Gender Baseline Assessment

North-East

North-East region comprises six states,                      (out of a total population of 18 million) are
namely Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe,                        estimated to have been a ected by the
Taraba, and Yobe. This region has been a ected               conflict, with 8.7 million people in need of
by di erent conflicts over the last decade.                   humanitarian assistance.

The conflict in North-East Nigeria is primarily               The most a ected states are the BAY states,
attributable to Jama'atu Ahlus Sunna                         and the most a ected groups are women,
Lidda'Awati Wal-Jihad also known as Boko                     children, and young persons. Boko Haram's
Haram, this group has been responsible for                   tactics have included multiple modes of
human rights violations across Nigeria, Chad,                attack, including suicide bombings, seizure
Cameroon, and Niger. The violent                             and destruction of entire villages, forced
radicalization of the BH members and the                     displacement, abductions, sexual violence
resulting military operations has reportedly                 targeting women, and forced recruitment of
a ected nearly fi een million people since                    men. Although BH-held territory has reduced
2009.                                                        in size over the last few years, the group
                                                             continues to perpetrate consistent attacks in
T h i s c o n fl i c t h a s t r i g g e re d a n a c u t e   North-Eastern states.
humanitarian crisis with forced displacement,
with devastating social and economic impacts
on the population, further deepening
underdevelopment and regional inequalities.
Fourteen million people across the six states

             Fourteen million                                                              8million+
             people across the six                                                  people in need of
             states are estimated to                                                   humanitarian
             have been a ected by
                                                                                         assistance.
             the conflict.

                                       This conflict further deepened
                                              underdevelopment and
                                                 regional inequalities.

                                                                                                             14
Gender Baseline Assessment

                             CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Insurgency                                                 Explosive Ordnance
Insurgency is defined as an organized                      Conceptually, explosive ordnance is defined as
m o v e m e n t t h a t a i m s t o o v e r t h ro w a    encompassing mine action's response to the
constituted government through subversive                 following munitions: mines, cluster munitions,
means and armed conflict. This definition                   unexploded ordnance, abandoned ordnance,
implies that insurgent groups employ                      booby traps, other devices (as defined by CCW
clandestine and unlawful means towards                    APII), and improvised explosive devices.
achieving an end, which could be political,
religious, social, or even ideological.                   This term is used by U.S. Army explosives safety
                                                          personnel to refer to all military munitions that
Insurgency, as defined above, becomes                      have been used, discarded, buried, or
violative of the constitution's criminal law and          abandoned. The term encompasses the
the international treaty obligations of a nation          materials, such as UXO, materials in soil from
in the following circumstance: when it                    partially exploded or decomposing ordnance
constitutes an attack on defenseless citizens             that make the soil reactive and ignitable, and
and other property resulting in injuries, loss of         munitions that have been discarded or buried. It
lives and properties as well as forced or massive         also encompasses facilities, equipment, and
internal displacement of people out of their              other materials with high enough
habitual places of residence.                             concentrations of explosives to present
                                                          explosive hazards.
According to Akani, the insurgency has led to
the death of tens of thousands of both civilians          An IED is defined as a device placed or
and Nigeria's finest military o cers; it has               fabricated in an improvised manner
occasioned a total strangulation of the                   incorporating explosive material, destructive,
economy as investors and employers of labour              lethal, noxious, incendiary, pyrotechnic
are apprehensive; it has resulted in the wanton           materials or chemicals designed to destroy,
destruction of lives and property as well as              disfigure, distract or harass.
other adverse impacts.
                                                          EOD means therefers to detection,
                                                          identification, field evaluation, render safe,
                                                          recovery, and disposal of EO. EOD may be
                                                          undertaken: (a) as a routine part of mine
                                                          clearance operations, upon discovery of EO; (b)
                                                          to dispose of ERW discovered outside
                                                          hazardous areas (this may be a single item of
                                                          ERW or a larger number inside a specific area);
                                                          or (c) to dispose of EO which has become
                                                          hazardous by deterioration, damage or
                                                          attempted destruction.

                                                                    EOD means the detection,
                                                         identification, evaluation, render safe,
                                                           recovery, and disposal of Explosive
                                                                                     Ordnance.

                                                                                                              15
Gender Baseline Assessment

The Nigeria Police Force

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is the leading        Ÿ  Vet and approve the registration of private
and foremost Law Enforcement Organization in            detective schools and private investigative
Nigeria. The 1999 Constitution, as amended, in          outfits.
Section 214(1) provides:                             The Nigerian Constitution provides: "The
                                                     members of the Nigeria Police Force shall have
"There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria which     such powers and duties as may be conferred on
shall be styled the Nigeria Police Force and         them by law.”
subject to the provisions of this section no other
Police Force shall be established for the            By the above provisions, constitutional validity
federation or any part thereof".                     is given to such enactments as the Police Act
                                                     and other laws like the Criminal Code, Penal
Further to the above, Section 215(a) provides        Code, Prevention of Crime Act, Criminal
for the appointment of the Inspector-General         Procedure Act, Administration of Criminal
of Police (IGP) from the serving members of the      Justice Act, Child Rights Act, Federal Highway
Force.                                               Act, Electoral Act, Firearms Act, Liquor Laws,
                                                     Road Tra c Laws, Coroners Law, Explosive
The specific duties of the NPF are succinctly         Act, and providing assistance during disaster
provided under Section 4 of the Nigeria Police       among others which have all conferred
Act 2020 as follows: “The Police shall:              enforcement powers on the Police Force.

Ÿ   Prevent and detect crimes and protect the        The list above is not exhaustive as there are still
    rights and freedom of every person in            other numerous Federal and State enactments
    Nigeria as provided in the Constitution, the     that have vested the police with the power of
    African Charter on Human and People's            enforcement.
    Rights and any other law,
Ÿ   Maintain public safety, law and order,           The Inspector General of Police is appointed by
Ÿ   Protect the lives and properties of all          the President on the advice of the Nigeria
    persons in Nigeria                               Police Council from among serving members of
Ÿ   Enforce all laws and regulations without any     t h e N i g e r i a P o l i c e Fo rc e w h i l e t h e
    prejudice to the enabling Act of other           Commissioner of Police is appointed for a state
    security agencies,                               by the Police Service Commission (PSC)). The
Ÿ   Discharge such duties within and outside         Nigeria Police Council provides general
    Nigeria as may be required of it under this      supervision of the police and advises the
    Act or any other law                             President on the appointment of an IGP.
Ÿ   Collaborate with other agencies to take any
    necessary action and provide the required        The Council's composition includes the
    assistance or support to persons in distress,    President, State Governor, the head of the
    including victims of road accidents, fire         Police Service Commission, and the Inspector
    disasters, earthquakes and floods.                General of Police, among others.
Ÿ   Facilitate the free passage and movement
    on highways, roads and streets open to the       There are Deputy Inspectors-General of Police
    public; and                                      (DIGs) to assist the IGP. Currently, seven (7)
Ÿ   Adopt community partnership in the               DIGs are administering 7 major Departments of
    discharge of its responsibilities under this     the Force. According to Section 3 of the Police
    Act or under any other law; and                  Act, the Deputy Inspector General of Police is
                                                     the second in Command of the Force and shall
                                                     act on behalf of the Inspector General during

                                                                                                               16
Gender Baseline Assessment

his/her absence though this rank is not                      Force, proposing that "Women between 40
specially mentioned in the Constitution, it has              and 50 years of age be employed as Police
legal backing, because the Police Act is a law               Constable because they would be better able
made by the National Assembly in accordance                  than men to prevent prostitution and deal with
with the constitution.                                       female criminals".
Female o cers, where necessary, are also                     The Force's recruitment process gives equal
eligible for these positions as long as they meet            opportunity to both male and female o cers to
the criteria.,. Every other rank below the IG,               be recruited into the NPF without
takes command orders from the IG in the                      discrimination.
performance of their lawful duties.
                                                             However, the Force Order (FO) No. 430 Sub 81
The Police presently have 17 Zonal Commands,                 (Administrative Instruction No. 23) provides,
headed by Assistant Inspectors General of                    among other things, that "a woman candidate
Police. Women are eligible for promotion to the              for enlistment in the Police force shall be
ranks of AIG and DIG when a vacancy opens in                 unmarried". Men are exempted from the said
the o cer's zone of origin.                                  restriction; therefore, at recruitment, a vast
                                                             number of eligible female candidates are
The Nigeria Police Force operates a vertical                 already disqualified by their marital status.
organizational structure that is basically
i nte n d e d to e n h a n c e d i s c i p l i n e . A s a   The same educational qualifications are
regimented organization, the flow of authority                required from male and female candidates
is from top to bottom, while the reporting                   seeking enlistment into the NPF. There are
process is from bottom to top. This                          three points of enlistment into the Force. These
organizational structure promotes internal                   are: (1) Constable, (2) Cadet Inspector, and (3)
control, improves monitoring and evaluation,                 Cadet Assistant Superintendent. The first two
and enhances the level of supervisory                        are junior and upper junior entry levels,
e ciency and accountability geared towards                   respectively, while the third is the lowest senior
enhancing discipline.                                        o cer rank or cadre.

Each of the thirty-six states of the federation              Candidates seeking enlistment into the Force
and the FCT is headed by the Commissioner of                 as Constables are expected to possess a
Police (CP) assisted by Deputy Commissioner                  School Certificate with five credits. Those
in charge of Finance and Administration (DFA),               aspiring to be enlisted as Cadet Inspectors are
as second in command. Others are Deputy                      expected to possess a post-secondary
Commissioners of Police (DCPs) in charge of                  diploma (such as National Certificate of
Operations and State Criminal Intelligence and               Education, Ordinary National Diploma, or
Investigations Department (SCIID). They are                  equivalents). Enlistment as Cadet Assistant
assisted by Assistant Commissioners of Police                Superintendent requires a bachelor's degree or
( AC Ps ) i n th e De p a rtm e nts a n d Are a              equivalent.
Commands at various State Commands.
                                                             However, in the light of lower literacy levels
Introduction of women into the NPF began in                  and lower enrolment at higher levels of
the 1940s when some Nigeria female leaders                   education by women, coupled with other
expressed interest in such reform in the Police              prejudices, the rate of female recruitment is
Force. In 1944, a delegation of the political and            inhibited. Also, in terms of age, the minimum
social section of the Women's Party advocated                requirement for male candidates seeking
the recruitment of female Constables into the

                                                                                                                  17
Gender Baseline Assessment

enlistment as a recruit constable is 17, while         will be investigated (Section 124, Police Acts).
that of women seeking enlistment is 19.                According to Section 87 of the Force Order, "A
                                                       woman police who wishes to marry is made to
The implication of this is that there is an implicit   first apply in writing to the Commissioner of
assumption that the maturity of a 17-year-old          Police requesting permission to marry and
male is equivalent to a 19-year-old female.            giving the name, address and occupation of the
                                                       person she intends to marry, permission will be
Section 85 of the Force Order provides the             granted for the marriage, provided that the
duties of a female Police O cer : the                  intended husband is of good character."
investigation of sexual o ences against
women and children; recording of statements
from female witnesses, female suspect and              On the contrary, a newly recruited male o cer
from children, attendance when women or                police is allowed to get married on completion
children are being interviewed by male police          of the training. The conditions for marriage
o cers, the searching, escorting and guarding          a ect women more than criteria stipulated for
of women prisoners in police Stations, and             men.
escorting of women prisoners to/from police
stations, school crossing duties, crowd control,       The contradictory and discriminatory aspect of
and where women and children are present.              Force Order Subsection 88 does not favor
                                                       female o cers as it declares: that a married
Women police o cers recruited to the                   woman police o cer shall not be granted any
General Duties Branch of the Force may be              special privileges by reasons of marriage and
employed some o ce duties, namely: clerical            shall be subjected to posting as if she was
duties, telephone duties, o ce orderly duties          unmarried.
to relieve male police o cers from these
duties.                                                Furthermore, Section 126 of the Police Act
                                                       states that: "A married woman police o cer
The provisions on duties and deployment show           who is pregnant may be granted maternity
discrimination against women as they are               leave in accordance with the provisions of
treated di erently from men in terms of the            general orders" while Section 127 of the Police
practical content of the Police Training School        Act states that: "An unmarried woman police
curriculum. Specifically, women police o cers           o cer who becomes pregnant shall be
are not trained in the handling of firearms.            discharged from the Force and shall not be re-
Section 123 of the Police Regulations states           enlisted except with the approval of the
that "A Woman Police O cer shall not be                Inspector General." The gender imbalance in
called upon to drill underarms or to take part in      NPF has attendant implications for women as
any baton or riot exercise."                           not many are found in the decision-making
                                                       bodies of the various formations in their
In essence, women are excluded from 'core
police duties' and consequently denied the
'honour', status, and career advancement                           A married woman police
associated with deployment to those duties.
Related to the discourse, before the marriage                 o cer who is pregnant may be
of a female police o cer, she must have served                   granted maternity leave in
in the police for three years, a er which she will                     accordance with the
apply for permission to marry, and the fiancé
                                                                provisions of general orders

                                                                                                          18
Gender Baseline Assessment

institution.                                                s u p e ri nte n d e nts of Po l i ce ( D S P ) a n d
Contrary to the provisions of Section 86 of the             Superintendents of Police (SP), Intermediate
Force Order which prohibits women from                      Command Course Examination for middle
drilling under arms, women now not only drill               cadre o cers of the rank of Chief
under arms but also bear arms both for duty and             Superintendent of Police (CSP), Senior
their personal protection. Besides, women                   Command Course for Assistant
p o l i c e n ow h e a d Z o n a l / S t a t e Po l i c e   Commissioners of Police (ACP), Executive
Commands, Divisions and other Force                         Policy and Strategic Courses for
formations. Importantly NPF shows remarkable                Commissioners of Police (CP). The completion
progress on female o cers' roles despite the                of these courses and related examinations are
fact that regulations have not been amended                 crucial given to determine eligibility for
as yet.                                                     promotion to a higher rank irrespective of
                                                            gender.
The NPF has a gender unit currently headed by
the Gender Adviser to the Inspector General                 As of July 2010, the total number of the
of Police who is a Deputy Commissioner of                   Nigeria Police Force stood at 291,094, 87.6%
Police; the Gender Adviser coordinates a airs               male Police o cers and 12.4% female Police
of the unit, and its various desks at the state             o cers. Within the rank of Senior Police
command level.                                              O cers (ASP II to IGP), the population is
                                                            (18,745), with a sex distribution of 95% male
Promotion scheme in NPF is based on                         o cers, and only 5% female senior o cers. For
availability of space, establishment, seniority,            the Rank and File (Constables to Inspectors of
and the o cers passing the prescribed                       Police), the total population is 272,350
examination(s). Some of these examinations                  comprising 87.1% male junior o cers and
include Terminal Examinations at training                   12.9% female junior o cers.
schools, Confirmation Examinations,
Promotion Course Examinations, Junior
Command Course Examination for Deputy

                                                                                                                    19
Gender Baseline Assessment

The Nigeria Police Force
The NSCDC was first introduced in May 1967                 broad-based information network monitoring
during the Nigerian Civil War within the then             of movement of persons; vandalism of all types,
FCT of Lagos for the purpose of sensitization             monitoring and supervision of private guard
and protection of the civil populace. It was then         companies or any other duties assigned by the
known as Lagos Civil Defence Committee. It                supervising Ministry of Interior.
later metamorphosed into today's NSCDC in
1970.                                                     Occasionally, the NSCDC is also engaged in
                                                          rescue operations, crisis management, and
On inception, the NSCDC intended to carry out             complimentary security roles with security
so m e e d u c ati o n a l a n d e n l i g hte n m e nt   outfits such as the State Security Service (SSS),
campaigns in and around the Federal Capital of            National Intelligence Agency (NIA), NPF, the
Lagos to sensitize members of the civil                   Army and Immigration as indicated in the
populace on enemy attacks. Most Nigerians                 gazette or assigned by the government of
living in and around Lagos territory at the time          Nigeria.
had little to zero knowledge about war and its
implications.                                             A hierarchical structure of command and
                                                          control has been designed with the
Members of the Committee, conducted                       Commandant-General as the head.
awareness raising to the general public through
electronic and print media on how to handle               The Attorney General of the Federation
situations such as air raids, bomb attacks,               empowered the NSCDC to institute legal
identification of bombs and how to dive into               proceedings against any person or persons
trenches during bomb blasts. In 1984, the                 suspected to have committed an o ence,
NSCDC was transformed into a national                     maintain a squad that bears firearms, among
security outfit.                                           others, to strengthen the Corps in the discharge
                                                          of its statutory duties, in accordance with the
In 1988, a significant restructuring of the                provisions of the Constitution of the Federal
NSCDC led to the establishment of                         Republic of Nigeria.
Commands throughout the federation,
including Abuja, and the addition of special              The NSCDC has six directorates, namely:
functions by the Federal Government.                      Directorate of Administration, Directorate of
                                                          Disaster Management , Directorate of
NSCDC is a paramilitary agency of the                     Intelligence and Investigation, Directorate of
Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria             Operations, Directorate of Technical Services,
with a mandate to provide measures against                and Directorate of Critical Infrastructure and
threat and any form of attack or disaster against         National Assets. The NSCDC also has eight
the nation and its citizenry. The NSCDC is                zones.
statutorily empowered by Act No. 2 of 2003
and amended by Act 6 of 4th June 2007.                    Th e N S C D C ro l e s we re s p e c i fi e d a n d
                                                          demarcated from those of the police, the
Their duties and responsibilities include                 paramilitary agencies, and the Army, Navy, and
securing the state and the people for peace,              the Air Force to prevent roles clashes and
justice, freedom, fair play, and orderliness: The         duplications of duties and responsibilities.
principal focus of NSCDC is in the area of

                                                                                                                20
Gender Baseline Assessment

In terms of gender sensitivity, the NSCDC           There are equal salary scales and emoluments
appointed a Gender Desk O cer in March              for both male and female o cers are the same.
2020. The Peace and Conflict (Resolution)
under the Gender Unit of the NSCDC regularly        NSCDC's promotions and appointments to the
engages with women organizations and                ranks of Commandant/Assistant/Deputy
structures in the community as the need arises,     Commandant General are based on shortlists
for advocacy and enlightenment.                     and oral/written interviews. At the time of this
                                                    study, two women have risen to the Rank of
This unit, in accordance with the Gender Desk       Assistant Commandant General (ACG) in the
O cer at the federal level, will be replicated in   NSCDC.
all Zonal and State Commands. She further
stated that the NSCDC gender policy was
being dra ed at the time of this study.

There are di erent uniforms for female
personnel, including pregnant women, for
every rank/level.

                                                                                                       21
Gender Baseline Assessment

Borno State
Geographical and Security Profile                        The Nigeria Police Force,
of Borno State                                          Borno State Command
The area referred to as the North-East                 In 1930, the Nigeria Police Force was created
geopolitical zone was one of the states created        without a ecting the existence and operations
in 1967 and was called North-Eastern State             of di erent police formations in other regions.
with headquarters in Maiduguri. The North-             Even with the attainment of independence on
Eastern state was later divided into Borno,            1st October 1960, Native Authority Police
Bauchi, and Gongola States in 1976.                    continued to exist, particularly in Western and
                                                       Northern Nigeria, with the Sheri system in the
The state shares borders with three of Nigeria's       Eastern part.
Francophone neighbours, namely: The
Republics of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Some           Later the separate police organizations were
nationals of the four countries - Nigeria,             brought under the central authority of the NPF.
Cameroon, Chad, and Niger - surround and rely          The decision to merge the police under the
on Lake Chad for livelihoods.                          control of the NPF was announced in February
                                                       1968.
The receding Lake Chad has led to the rise of
criminal activities across the borders, alongside      One of the measures taken to regulate the
trade in fish, beans, cattle, sheep, hides, and skin,   police was the promulgation of the Police Act
pepper, tomatoes, and potash, among others.            in 1943. This has been the primary legal
The long and porous borders and low presence           instrument that defines the functions and
of government have created opportunities for           responsibilities of the police. Although the
trans-border crime, including small arms and           number of women in the police was negligible,
light weapons into Nigeria. This was first              the Act specified the role of women police
occasioned by the instability in the Republic of       o cers distinct from men in the Force Order.
Chad and lately the collapse of Libya.
                                                       Those roles were usually restricted to duties
The state has been the epicenter of the conflict        related to women and children. Even those
between Boko Haram terrorists and the                  recruited to general duties were only to
Nigerian State. The terrorists keep exploiting         perform 'clerical, telephone and o ce orderly
their knowledge of the terrain and ungoverned          duties.
spaces that facilitate movement undetected
and launching surprise attacks on towns,               ‘The general rules defining the functions of the
villages, and security, particularly, but not          police are crime prevention, detection and
exclusively, military locations. Boko Haram has        apprehension of o enders, preservation of law
proven to be adaptable and inventing various           and order, protection of life and property and
tactics to continue to unleash violence,               enforcement of all laws and regulations which
resulting in death and destruction; it resorts to      they are directly charged, and performance of
IEDs, including the use of female suicide              military duties outside Nigeria as may be
bombers to maim and kill civilians.                    required of them by the act or any other law.

                                                                                                         22
Gender Baseline Assessment

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
Corps, Borno Comman
The Borno State Command of the NSCDC was         military. Women have been active in the
established in 1996. The establishment of the    operations of NSCDC but are not generally
Command bolstered the NSCDC's capacity to        allowed to take part in assignments that are
respond to the threats posed by Boko Haram as    considered to be risky for women, for example,
its terrorist activities.                        night duties, rioting, and crime scenes.

Thus, the Corps had its o cers trained in        The socio-cultural terrain in Borno has not
weapons handling and participating in counter-   allowed female o cers to actively participate
terrorism operations. The NSCDC o cers are       in the security sector, unlike in other states of
appointed to the Theatre Command of              the federation.
Operation Lafiya Dole, under the control of the

                                                                                                     23
Gender Baseline Assessment

Adamawa State
Geographical and Security Profile
of Adamawa State
Adamawa State population in 2020 is                Although relatively new (established in 2015),
estimated to be about 4,771,005. The NSAG          the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF)
operations, sustained and enhanced by the          have had notable achievements, including the
proliferation and illicit flow of small arms and    destruction of terrorist camps, the arrest or
light weapons within the area, have resulted in    'neutralization' of hundreds of terrorists, and the
the death of many and the displacement of          destruction of IED-making factories and
others, including security personnel, law          equipment.
enforcement o cers, and civilians, mostly
women and children.                                The MNJTF has recaptured 80% of the
                                                   territory that had once been under Boko
Although the initial response to counter the       Haram's control. Those various e orts that seek
NSAGs by the Federal Government of Nigeria         to mitigate the impact of IED are o en collated
was generally adjudged to be abysmally weak,       under the broad heading of Counter-IED
the change in the strategic leadership of the      (CIED). The arrangement has helped in
military institutions in 2015 seemed to turn the   mitigating the e ects of IEDs in Adamawa
tide against the insurgent group.                  State and its environs.

For instance, since 2015, counter-insurgency
e orts have resulted in the recapture of 20        Nigeria Police Force,
Local Government Areas (LGAs) out of 27 in         Adamawa State Command
Borno State, 12 out of 17 in Yobe State, while
the 7 LGAs out of 21 heavily a ected in            According to an Open Society Institute report
Adamawa State have witnessed lesser attacks        published in 2010, there are 12 Zonal
since 2016, but other displaced people have        Commands. President Muhammadu Buhari
fled to IDP camps in Adamawa for safety .           GCFR created an additional 5, each of which is
                                                   headed by an Assistant Inspector General
Another dangerous dimension to insecurity in       (AIG) of Police. Zone 3 comprises Adamawa,
Adamawa State is the forceful abduction or         G o m b e , a n d Ta r a b a S t a t e s w i t h i t s
kidnapping of women and girls to demand            headquarters in Yola, Adamawa State.
ransom. Since 2018, kidnapping cases in the
State have been on the increase. Many people       Several specialised units can be found within
have been kidnapped in Yola, the state capital,    the NPF, such as the Border Patrol, Bombs
and the contiguous towns without much              Disposal Squad, Ports Authority Police, and the
uneasiness because they are either not             Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). NPF,
reported or under-reported.                        Adamawa State Command is one of the
                                                   Commands in every state of the federation.
While some have attributed this to part of the
Boko Haram terrorist insurgency, others have       There are female o cers in the Command, but
argued that the increasing rate of kidnapping is   the level of their involvement in risk-taking
a new wave of criminality being perpetrated by     assignment is quite minimal due to religious and
other criminal groups.Adamawa State has            cultural issues.
su ered from the use of IEDs by the insurgents
to attack the civilian population at one time or
the other.

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