The Anambra State Government has begun moves to enforce women’s rights to inherit property and prosecute individuals who deny them inheritance on the basis of their gender.
The move is aimed at tackling the long-standing practice in parts of the Southeast where women and girls are allegedly excluded from inheriting family property because they are female.
The state government said such discriminatory practices persist despite a Supreme Court ruling that declared the denial of women’s inheritance rights illegal.
Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, has directed the Nigeria Police Force to investigate complaints involving gender-based disinheritance and forward the case files to his office for prosecution.
According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Anambra State Governor on Media, Ejimofor Opara, the directive was contained in a letter written by the Attorney-General to the state Commissioner of Police.
The state government said it would commence legal action against individuals found to be denying women their lawful inheritance.
Nweke reportedly told the police that denying women and girls their right to inherit property because of their gender constitutes an offence under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State.
The offence, according to the government, is punishable by up to four years’ imprisonment.
The Attorney-General urged the police to thoroughly investigate all reported cases of gender-based disinheritance and forward the case files to the Ministry of Justice for further action.
He said the ministry had designated its Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Unit to prosecute offenders under the law.The unit will also handle cases involving other forms of domestic violence and sexual offences, according to the directive.
The development marks a renewed effort by the Anambra State Government to address discriminatory inheritance practices and ensure that women and girls can exercise their legal rights to family property.
