The Benue State Ministry of Justice has established reporting desks across Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state to enable victims of rape, sexual abuse and other crimes to access justice more easily.
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yangien Ornguga, disclosed this while receiving members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, at the ministry’s headquarters in Makurdi on Monday, September 5.
Prof. Ornguga said the initiative was introduced in response to incessant reports of rape and other criminal activities in IDP camps, stressing that victims should not have to endure additional difficulties before reporting abuses.
He also disclosed that the ministry had launched a website to reduce the burden of physically visiting the courts or ministry offices to report criminal cases, particularly gender-based violence and rape.
According to Prof. Ornguga, the digital platform would also enable legal practitioners to access relevant legal materials and discharge their duties more efficiently, while improving Benue residents’ access to justice.
The Attorney-General said the ministry was collaborating with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to prosecute human traffickers, to secure convictions and deter others from engaging in the crime.
Prof. Ornguga said he had prioritised capacity building for lawyers since assuming office, adding that the ministry had also begun reviewing outdated laws to ensure the state’s legal framework reflected current realities.
He listed the Education Law, Child Rights Law and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law among those already reviewed, adding that other laws would be addressed subsequently.
On workers’ welfare, Prof. Ornguga disclosed that the ministry had cleared 13 months of salary arrears owed judicial casual staff and increased their monthly remuneration from N5,000 to N30,000, with plans for further improvement when economic conditions permit.
He also expressed concern over the poor condition of judicial offices at the local government level, saying the ministry had provided working tools to improve the efficiency of judicial personnel.
Prof. Ornguga commended the Women Empowerment Programme (WEP) for providing 24-hour internet access to the ministry, saying the facility had enabled lawyers to conduct faster research and access relevant laws while handling cases.
He urged journalists to verify information thoroughly before publication, particularly reports concerning the justice sector and government activities.
The commissioner warned that unverified reports could inflame public tension and expose journalists and media organisations to litigation, stressing that reporters must be prepared to substantiate information published under their bylines.
