The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Miller Dantawaye, has declared that the era of dismissing domestic violence as a “family matter” is over.

Dantawaye made this known at the 2025 National Conference of Raising Future Leaders, organised by the Memunat Single Mother and Child Initiative, and held at the National Human Rights Commission in Abuja.

Represented by CSP Blessed O. Folorunsho, Officer-in-Charge of the Gender and Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the FCT Police Command, Dantawaye stressed that the police take cases of domestic violence seriously and will continue to enforce relevant laws to ensure justice for victims.

“The rights of everyone must be fully protected. Those days when a woman’s rights were trampled upon under the excuse that it is a family matter are gone.

“There are now laws and acts such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act that address these issues. A woman cannot just be sent away or maltreated without consequence,” he said.

The Executive Coordinator of the Memunat Single Mother and Child Initiative, Memunat Idu’Lah, called on the federal government to designate a National Day for Single Parenting to draw attention to the challenges faced by single parents in the country.

Idu’Lah noted that the rising cases of domestic violence have contributed significantly to the growing number of single parents in Nigeria.

“We see it every day. Almost everyone knows a single parent, either in their family or neighbourhood, but we hardly discuss their struggles,” she added.

She said the conference was organised to open national conversations on supporting single parents and protecting children from the effects of domestic violence, stressing that raising well-supported children is key to building a better society. (Daily Trust)