The Anambra State Government has initiated moves to prosecute individuals, families and customary authorities who deny women and girls their right to inheritance of family property.
The directive was contained in a letter by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, to the Nigeria Police Force, directing the police to investigate complaints of gender-based disinheritance and transmit case files to his office for prosecution.
Nweke said the move was part of efforts by the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to protect women’s inheritance rights in the state. He said the state will commence legal action against offenders upon receipt of investigated cases.
The letter noted that the obnoxious practice of denying women and girls their right to inherit property because they are females amounts to a crime under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State and punishable with up to four years imprisonment.
He said to effectively combat the practice, the Ministry has designated the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Unit to handle the prosecution of offenders under the law, alongside other forms of domestic violence and sexual offences.
The development comes despite Supreme Court decisions declaring customs and practices that exclude women from inheriting property unconstitutional and unlawful, as some communities and individuals in the South-East still engage in the practice on grounds of customs and traditional practices.
