Anambra to Prosecute Those Denying Women Inheritance Rights

Anambra State says it will prosecute individuals who deny women and girls the right to inherit property because of their gender.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, says the move is part of efforts by the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to protect women’s inheritance rights and tackle gender-based discrimination.

Nweke says the state government has directed the Nigeria Police Force to investigate complaints involving the disinheritance of women and girls and forward the case files to his office for prosecution.

In a letter to the police, the Attorney General says denying women and girls their right to inherit property because they are female constitutes a crime under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State.

He says offenders could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

Nweke adds that the state’s Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Unit has been designated to prosecute offenders under the law, alongside cases involving domestic violence and sexual offences.

The move comes against the backdrop of cases in parts of the South-East where female children have reportedly been denied inheritance on the basis of customs and traditional practices.

The Attorney General says the state will take legal action against offenders once the police complete their investigations and forward the relevant case files to his ministry.