Peace Bridges and Community Linkages Initiative (PEBCLIN) has engaged the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Lapai Local Government Area, CSP Umar Muhammad Damana, in a strategic advocacy meeting aimed at strengthening efforts to prevent conflict, gender-based violence (GBV), and child rights violations in the area.
The engagement, held under PEBCLIN's Community Localization Programme (CLP3), focused on improving collaboration between the Police, Local Government authorities, traditional institutions, schools, and community leaders to promote early intervention and prevent violence before it occurs.
Speaking during the session, PEBCLIN emphasized the need for community-driven safety plans and stronger partnerships with law enforcement agencies to enhance trust, improve reporting of violations, and strengthen local peacebuilding efforts.
The programme also aligns with national and international frameworks on youth, women, peace, and security by promoting the inclusion of women and young people in decision-making processes and community-based conflict prevention mechanisms.
The DPO of Lapai, CSP Umar Muhammad Damana, commended PEBCLIN for introducing practical structures aimed at addressing child marriage, child abuse, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. He noted that the proposed local framework would provide stronger support for law enforcement interventions in cases often treated as private family matters.
Both parties agreed on key action points, including regular reviews of ward-level incident reports, the deployment of police desk officers to schools, and the inclusion of the DPO in the Local Government CLP3 Committee.
PEBCLIN Executive Director, Abdullahi Shuaibu, said addressing conflict, violence against women, and child rights violations requires a unified approach, stressing that sustainable peace and development depend on the active participation of women and young people in community affairs.