Barrister Ene Sarah Unobe in Triple Celebration…

As She Presents Her Book with the title ‘Gender Based Violence’, Celebrates Her 40th Birthday,15 Years In The Legal Profession With Family, Friends

Lucky Akra

Mrs. Ene Sarah Unobe (ESQ) The Chief Executive Officer of the International Centre for Human Rights Non-Violence And Safety Awareness has marked 15 years in the Legal profession among family and friends as she also used the opportunity to present her maiden book with the title -Gender Based Violence and other related offences, prevention, protection and prosecution at the Radisson Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja, Lagos on July 1st.

Barrister Ene Unobe who showed her appreciation to God for the triple celebration said,” I am thankful to God that I am presenting a book on Gender Based Violence. It has been my heart desire that it will be a reality. It has come to reality today and it is a triple celebration for me, my 40th birthday, book presentation and 15 years anniversary as a human right defender and as human right lawyer”.

Barrister Ene Unobe whose birthday was on the 25th of June,shifted the date forward to accommodate the celebration of her other achievements. As a passionate human rights defender for the pass 15 years,Barrister Ene while briefing Journalists about her past said before she became a Lawyer,she has dealings with women, vulnerable groups,people with disabilities, women going through lots of violence.

Having had a lot of experiences with the police, women and their challenges, Barr. Ene said she decided to put this book for people to read and learn how to defend and protect themselves from Gender-based violence as the book is a summary of her wealth of experience in her profession in dealing with gender-based violence and related offences.

She has shared a lot of experiences in the book, according to her,” I am using this book to summarise and put down my 15 years of defending the less privileged and others in need of services.

She assured the book will be beneficial to all, as it teaches how to prevent domestic, gender-based violence, how to protect oneself and others from being a victim, and how to prosecute offenders of domestic-based violence.

“If you are not a victim, you will learn not to be a victim, if you are a victim, you will learn how to get justice in the police station or criminal justice section.It will be beneficial to children and also talk about the effect of domestic violence on family. The book is vast in dealing with all the issues of domestic and gender-based violence, as families will also be benefiting from it” She added.

She further said . ” We can’t reduce violence on the street or in the country without reducing violence in our home” .According to her, most of the people promoting violence are victims from the home. Gender violence at home escalated into street violence, societal violence and into terrorism.

Barrister Ene Sarah Unobe advises every family, the general public to get a copy of this book as it empowers the knowledge on how to prevent, protect and prosecute gender-based violence. She chanted the slogan ”If you see something, say something, do something. Gender-based violence is a monster”

Speaking at the event, the Elder sister of the celebrant, Professor Ruth Adio- Moses from the University of Ibadan, praised God and appreciated her sister Barrister Ene Sarah Unobe at 40 and for putting her brilliant experiences and excellent knowledge about gender-based violence into a book for all to learn from. With enthusiasm, she said,” Ene Sarah Unobe the number 8 (eight) in the family, I will say she has done well and she is very lucky. She has learnt from all of us ahead of her in the family unlike me that didn’t have anybody in front to learn from. I am beginning to learn from my younger ones and it’s a wonderful experience”, she said. She also appreciated her husband Pastor Stephen Unobe for giving her wings to fly.

Professor Adio-Moses went on to say, Barrister Ene has been able to annex those experiences she learnt to do something good for herself.

She said, ”I was one of those who encouraged her to go into NGO. We sat down to carve the name together. I found myself in Security and Humanitarian Studies and also into health and Safety.
When she told me she was defending women, I said to her, it’s health and safety. I encouraged her to add safety and nonviolence, that was how we got the name nonviolence. As a lawyer she added other things and I thank God she is moving forward. All of us in the family with our different professions should be able to key into her NGO. Am seeing in the future, we are going to have the powerful union of brothers and sisters coming up with something unique, we are coming out big and strong, this country should watch out for us”.

The Chairman of the occasion appreciated Barrister Ene and gave a testimony of how she has done a lot of pro bono to assist the less privileged. How she rejected a bribe of N500,000.She stood her ground, fought the cause and won the case with millions of naira but was rewarded less than what she rejected as a bribe without complaining. He referred to her as a God-fearing woman, hard-working, tolerant and strong. And pray for more of God’s wisdom and blessings upon her.