The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Miller Dantawaye, has called for an end to the long-standing practice of treating domestic violence as a private or family affair.
Speaking at the 2025 National Conference of Raising Future Leaders, organized by the Memunat Single Mother and Child Initiative at the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja, Dantawaye—represented by CSP Blessed O. Folorunsho, Head of the Gender and Anti-Human Trafficking Unit—affirmed the police’s commitment to enforcing laws that protect victims of abuse.
“The rights of everyone must be fully protected,” he said. “The days when a woman’s rights could be trampled upon under the excuse that it is a family matter are gone.”
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The police chief emphasized that laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act provide clear legal grounds to prosecute offenders and protect victims.
“A woman cannot just be sent away or maltreated without consequence,” he added.
Memunat Idu’Lah, Executive Coordinator of the Memunat Single Mother and Child Initiative, urged the federal government to declare a National Day for Single Parenting to draw attention to the struggles faced by single parents across the country.
She noted that rising cases of domestic violence have contributed significantly to the growing number of single parents in Nigeria.
“We see it every day—almost everyone knows a single parent, either in their family or neighbourhood—but we hardly discuss their struggles,” Idu’Lah said.
She explained that the conference aimed to spark national dialogue on supporting single parents and shielding children from the damaging effects of domestic violence, adding that raising emotionally supported children is vital to building a stronger and safer society.
