Gombe Records 645 SGBV Cases In 5 Years, Launches Referral Centre

Gombe State has recorded a rise in reported cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) over the past five years, with 645 survivors treated between 2021 and 2025, the majority of them adolescent girls aged 10 to 14 years.

The Chief Medical Director of the Specialists Hospital, Gombe, Dr. Sambo Bawa, disclosed this on Friday at the official launching ceremony of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) at the facility being implemented with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other stakeholders.

Taking the overview of the cases recorded in the hospital, Dr Sambo 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.

He noted that 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.

Dr. Dawa traced the hospital’s response to sexual and gender-based violence back to 15 years ago, when care was provided informally by a single doctor without a dedicated space, trained personnel or proper systems.

He explained that a major turning point came in 2021 following the restructuring and upgrade of the hospital by the state government, which 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.

He said the establishment of the SARC in 2025, through collaboration between the state government and development partners, marked a significant milestone.

The CMD explained that while the state government provided the building, staff, drugs and consumables, UNICEF offered training, technical support, equipment, kits and an integrated child protection information management system, transforming the facility into a one-stop centre where survivors can access medical care, psychosocial support, police investigation, legal aid and social services without moving from place to place.

Representing the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, said the centre was backed by a law enacted by the Gombe State House of Assembly to protect women and children, stressing 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.

Also speaking, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, described sexual and gender-based violence as a crime that must be prevented, 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 to 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 be changed, these practices need to be changed so we can help those who have been abused and protect the new generations,” she stated, adding that nobody would be safe if the culture of abuse remained

In his goodwill message, the Emir of Gombe, represented by Alhaji Dalhatu Sambo, Wakilin Birnin Gombe, commended the state for the achievement and assured that traditional rulers across the state would support the sustainability of the centre, which he described as a compassion hub for survivors.