Anambra to prosecute those denying women inheritance rights

The Anambra State Government has launched a campaign to prosecute individuals who deny women and girls the right to inherit property in the state. In response, the state has sought assistance from the Nigeria Police Force to investigate such complaints and forward the case files to the Attorney-General for legal action. The Attorney-General, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, informed the police force of this initiative through a signed letter.

Nweke highlighted that numerous instances have been reported where girls are being barred from inheriting properties left by their parents, allegedly due to customs and traditional practices prevalent in the region. Despite Supreme Court rulings declaring such customs and practices unconstitutional and illegal, some members of the public continue to perpetrate these discriminatory actions.

According to the letter, practicing discrimination against women and girls in property inheritance is considered a criminal offense under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State. Penalties for such acts can include imprisonment for up to four years. The letter emphasizes that the practice is punishable and urges the police force to conduct thorough investigations into reported cases, transmitting the case files to the Ministry of Justice for further action.

To effectively tackle this issue, the Ministry has tasked the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Unit with prosecuting offenders under the aforementioned law, alongside addressing other forms of domestic violence and sexual offenses. The letter was sent by Nweke on behalf of the Anambra State Government and was made available to journalists on Tuesday.