Anambra moves to prosecute those denying women inheritance rights

The Anambra State Government has moved to prosecute individuals who deny women and girls the right to inherit property because of their gender.

According to Daily Post, Attorney General Tobechukwu Nweke directed the Nigeria Police to investigate complaints of gender-based disinheritance and forward case files to his office for prosecution.

The directive follows persistent inheritance practices in parts of the Southeast despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring discrimination against women in inheritance illegal.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s media aide, Ejimofor Opara, quoted the Attorney General’s letter as saying: “The letter noted that the obnoxious practices 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 (4) years imprisonment.”

The ministry has designated its Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Unit to prosecute offenders and handle related domestic violence and sexual offence cases across the state.