•Police Begin Investigation Into Complaint By Jennifer Yewande Odeniyi
By Kunle Adeoye
The Nigeria Police Force has commenced an investigation into allegations of threats to the life of a Nigerian human rights defender and mental health counsellor, Jennifer Yewande Odeniyi, over her campaigns against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage.
Odeniyi, who works with a non-governmental organisation dedicated to protecting vulnerable women and children, reportedly lodged the complaint at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, on January 15, 2025.
According to the police report, the complaint centres on alleged threats arising from Odeniyi’s advocacy against harmful traditional practices, particularly those affecting the rights, health and safety of women and children.
The human rights defender reportedly told investigators that her professional responsibilities included providing psychosocial support to children living with chronic illnesses, as well as conducting campaigns against FGM and child, early and forced marriage.
Her work, according to the complaint, involved extensive travels across Nigeria for community sensitisation programmes, field operations and direct interventions aimed at protecting vulnerable individuals.
Odeniyi identified an outreach operation in Osun State as a major turning point in her concerns about personal safety, alleging that her team’s campaign against FGM and early and forced marriage encountered violent opposition from local traditional actors and influential community members.
The police bulletin indicated that the resistance allegedly escalated beyond verbal hostility, with the campaign team receiving warnings of a possible physical attack.
According to the complaint, trusted local contacts alerted Odeniyi and her colleagues that an armed group was gathering and allegedly intended to attack them if they were found within the area.
The alleged threat reportedly prompted the team to abandon its operational equipment and flee under the cover of darkness to avoid a possible confrontation with the armed group.
Odeniyi told investigators that the experience left her deeply concerned about the safety of herself and her colleagues, particularly given the nature of their work and the opposition they had encountered.
The complaint further alleged that hostility towards her advocacy intensified after the Osun incident, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty around her activities.
She reportedly informed the police that the threats had forced her to reconsider her movements and take additional precautions to protect herself and members of her family.
The human rights defender’s complaint underscores the security challenges confronting activists working to end harmful traditional practices, particularly in communities where campaigns against established customs may encounter resistance.
FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons, is widely recognised as a violation of the rights of women and girls and can result in serious physical and psychological consequences.
Similarly, child, early and forced marriage remains a major concern among rights advocates because of its potential effects on girls’ education, health, personal development and freedom to make decisions about their lives.
Odeniyi’s reported experience raises questions about the safety of campaigners who engage communities on sensitive social issues and the measures available to protect them when their work attracts threats.
The police report stated that the complaint was formally recorded and referred to Detective Solomon Ajilore and his team for discreet investigation.
The referral was reportedly documented in a diary entry made by Inspector Adams John, indicating that the matter had been brought before the relevant investigative authorities.
The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged threats, identify those responsible, if any, and determine whether criminal offences were committed..
The case has drawn attention to the risks faced by human rights defenders working to eliminate FGM and child, early and forced marriage, as well as the importance of ensuring that those engaged in protecting vulnerable women and children can carry out their responsibilities without fear of violence.
