By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Gusau
Zamfara State has inaugurated a new Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) after managing 727 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) over the past six years, marking a major step in strengthening support services for survivors in the state.
The new centre, located within the Women and Children King Fahad ibn AbdulAzeez Hospital in Samaru Gusau, was commissioned on Tuesday and named after the state’s First Lady, Hajiya Hurriya Dauda Lawal, in recognition of her advocacy efforts.
The Managing Director of the hospital, Dr. Amina, said the team had endured years of difficulty attending to survivors in makeshift spaces after their former office was demolished by a previous administration.
“We attended to 727 survivors of GBV without an office and without the required facilities,” she said, describing the new centre as a “lifeline” that will help them strengthen their response.
Dr. Amina explained that rising GBV cases in Zamfara were linked to banditry, displacement, and widespread vulnerability among affected communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Mrs. Waffaa Saeed, applauded the state government and the First Lady for their commitment, noting that the new centre reflects Governor Dauda Lawal’s dedication to protecting survivors. She said naming the facility after the First Lady was meant to encourage her continued advocacy.
In her remarks, Hajiya Hurriya Dauda Lawal reaffirmed her resolve to protect all survivors—women, girls, men, and boys stressing that GBV affects families across the state and requires collective action.
“This centre is designed to ensure that no woman, man, girl, or boy is left unheard or unsupported,” she said, calling for strengthened institutions, accountability, and awareness to enhance prevention and response.
Civil society organisations and human rights advocates praised the development and urged the government to establish additional centres across the three senatorial districts for easier access to services.
The Zamfara State Deputy Governor, Malan Mani Mummuni, commissioned the facility, which will provide medical, psycho-social, legal, and livelihood support to sexual assault survivors.