Chinedum Treasure
Anambra State government has initiated steps for prosecution of those denying females right of inheritance in the State.
It has also requested the Nigerian Police to Investigate such complaints and transmit the case file to his office for prosecution.
Attorney General of the State, Tobechukwu Nweke disclosed this in a letter written to the Nigerian Police and personally signed by him and made available to newsmen on Tuesday.
According to the letter, the obnoxious practices of denying women and girls of their right to inherit property because they are females amount to a crime under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State and punishable with up to four (4) years imprisonment.
Nweke regretted indulgence of some members of the public in such discriminatory practices despite Supreme Court decisions declaring as unconstitutional and illegal, customs and practices which exclude females from inheriting property.
The letter partly reads, “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.
“To effectively combat this practice, this Ministry has designated the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Unit to handle the prosecution of offenders under the above mentioned law, alongside other forms of domestic violence and sexual offences.”
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