Nigeria, state of emergency for rape

(ANSA) - ROME, JUNE 12 - Nigerian governors have declared a state of emergency for rape and violence against women and girls in the country. In a statement, the 36 governors strongly condemned all forms of violence against women and girls and said they were "committed to ensuring that violators face the maximum weight of the law." The state of emergency follows a spike in cases of gender-based violence during the blockade recently imposed in some states to curb the spread of coronavirus. The chairman of the forum of governors, Kayode Fayemi, had declared that he had asked the Nigerian police to provide a report on the actions taken to strengthen the response to sexual and gender-based violence. Governors also pledged to create a register of sex offenders in each state and increase funding to address the problem. In the past two weeks there have been protests against rapes across the country and on social media.