The Anambra State Government has begun moves to prosecute individuals who deny women and girls the right to inherit property because of their gender. This was disclosed in a letter made available to journalists on Monday and shared by the Anambra New Media X handle on Tuesday. The state Attorney……
The Anambra State Government has begun moves to prosecute individuals who deny women and girls the right to inherit property because of their gender.
This was disclosed in a letter made available to journalists on Monday and shared by the Anambra New Media X handle on Tuesday.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobe Nweke, SAN, in the letter to the Nigeria Police Force, requested the investigation of reported cases of gender-based disinheritance and the transmission of case files to his office for prosecution.
According to the letter, several cases have been reported in which girls were prevented from inheriting properties belonging to their parents based on customs and traditional practices.
The Attorney General said the practice constitutes an offence under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State, which provides for up to four years’ imprisonment.
“In light of the foregoing, you are kindly requested to ensure that your office thoroughly investigates all reported cases of gender-based disinheritance and that the case files are transmitted to this Ministry for further action,” Nweke said.
He added that the ministry had designated its Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Unit to prosecute offenders under the law.
“To effectively combat this practice, this Ministry has designated the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Unit to handle the prosecution of offenders under the above-mentioned law, alongside other forms of domestic violence and sexual offences,” he said.
