Kano Launches Sexual Offender Database

The Kano State Government has launched a Sexual Offender Database (SOD), as part of measures to check Gender-Based Violence (GBV) related offences in the state.

Speaking at the launch on Thursday, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, said the database will ensure that offenders have no hiding place in the society.

He said that the need for SOD was obvious due to rising cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the society.

“The cooperation of the judiciary in the success of SOD cannot be overemphasised as court records will remain the most important and genuine source of feed into the SOD,” he said.

Lawan noted that the database is made of two registers, the Sexual Offender Register and Service Providers Register.

“Sexual Offender Register is a documentation of reported, arraigned or convicted cases of sex violation as defined by law.

“It is accessible to the public and security agencies.

“The data on those convicted will be made available to the public directly on the website, while reported, arraigned but not convinced can be accessed based on request,” he explained.

He explained that in Kano, the State Ministry of Justice will be responsible for collecting, verifying, and uploading the records of convicted sexual offenders electronically.

Abdullahi-Lawan said that SOD would serve as deterrent to others as offenders would be named and shamed.

Also speaking, the state Grand Khadi, Tijjani Yakasai, said that the menace is disturbing and spreading like wildfire.

He said that all hands must be on deck to check the menace and also assured support of Shari’a Courts in that regard.

The state Chief Judge, Justice Nura Sagir-Umar, lamented on the high rate of GBV in the society.

He therefore advocated the need for all stakeholders to be proactive in tackling the problem because no one is immune.