UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Published purpose

This project aims to increase accountability for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) related crimes, including those linked to terrorism, in Nigeria and to improve access to justice for survivors. The project helps to institutionalize best practices for collecting, storing and using evidence in prosecution, fostering a culture of proper evidence use among law enforcement and justice actors in criminal cases. Project activities include: (1) installing a victim-centered interview suite and a dedicated interview room for suspect interviews complete with video and audio recording facilities; (2) providing training and mentoring to Borno State Criminal Investigative Department officers, for Joint Investigation Centre investigators and military police training officers. The sessions focus on sensitive and effective investigation of terrorism-related SGBV cases and on recovering evidence at SGBV-related crime scenes; and (3) implementing a new quality management system framework for the forensic laboratories in Abuja aligned to international standards.