A sharp rise in cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has been reporter in Gombe State over the past five years.
The Chief Medical Director of Gombe state specialists hospital, Dr. Sambo Bawa, explained that out of 645 survivors treated between 2021 and 2025, majority of them were adolescent girls aged 10 to 14 years.
He made the revelation at the official launching ceremony of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), a facility being set up with the support of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and other stakeholders.
Bawa revealed that the number of survivors treated rose from 76 cases in 2021 to 117 in 2022, 122 in 2023, 160 in 2024, and 170 cases in 2025, describing the trend as alarming.
According to him, most survivors were girls from rural communities, while perpetrators were largely neighbours and family members, a pattern that underscored the hidden nature of sexual violence within communities.
He traced the hospital’s response to sexual and gender-based violence back to 15 years ago, saying that care was provided informally by a single doctor without a dedicated space, trained personnel or proper systems.
The Chief Medical Director explained that a major turning point came in 2021 following the restructuring and upgrade of the hospital by the state government that led to the creation of a sexual and gender-based violence unit, improved record-keeping, availability of medical supplies and government support for survivor treatment and expert witness appearances in court.
Representing the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, was the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru who explained that the centre was backed by a law enacted by the Gombe State House of Assembly to protect women and children, pointing out that the SARC was designed to ensure privacy, prompt medical attention, counselling, rehabilitation, legal redress and security enforcement.
He called on district heads, village heads and community leaders to actively investigate reports of abuse and refer survivors promptly, warning that silence and stigma continued to fuel underreporting.
Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, described sexual and gender-based violence as a crime that must be prevented and not merely treated.
She warned that abuse often occurs within homes and neighbourhoods, urging sustained community awareness, parental responsibility and a shift from response to prevention, noting that victims could be as young as infants.
“We need to raise awareness in the communities on how parents should take care of their children. This is not only a problem in Gombe, but in all five states. I have seen as small as six-month-old babies being abused and to all ages. This culture needs to change, these practices need change so we can help those who have been abused and protect the new generations as nobody will be safe if the culture of abuse remains,” she explained.
