Wednesday, June 3, 2026 -A total of 99 rapists have been thrown behind bars in Akwa Ibom State from 2020 to 2025 following the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law in the state.
Director, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response
Department and Secretary, Akwa Ibom State GBV Management Committee, Barr. Emem
Ette, disclosed this at a press briefing to kick off the 2026 GBV Awareness
Month in the state, tagged, “Let’s End Gender-Based Violence Together.”
Ette said the state secured 102 convictions within the
period — 99 rape convictions and three convictions for spousal battery.
Ette, while noting the reduction in incidents of GBV cases
in previous months, regretted the spike recorded in May, especially child rape
cases, adding that the Committee collaborates with relevant stakeholders,
including traditional rulers, to tackle gender-based violence in communities.
She added that traditional rulers have been trained on GBV response protocols
and how to avoid harmful customary settlements that undermine justice.
She also advocated life imprisonment for rape offenders to
serve as a deterrent, even as she noted that such long incarceration could
provide room for rehabilitation and behavioural change where necessary, citing
instances where convicts exhibit good behaviour while awaiting trial.
“We’ve noticed another little spike in GBV, especially rape
involving children. All of us should come together to fight these issues of
gender violence. Out of all those cases, we have secured 102 convictions so
far. Of that number, three were for spousal battery, while 99 were for rape,”
she said.
On efforts by the Committee to create awareness and reduce
incidents of GBV across communities, the Secretary stated that they have
visited 15 villages to constitute by-law committees that would develop
regulations aligned with their peculiar cultural realities while remaining
consistent with existing legal frameworks.
She revealed that, apart from setting up by-laws, the
Committee trains paralegals who are attached to village councils to enable them
mediate minor cases, with the aim of ensuring appropriate sanctions for
offenders. She stressed that serious offences such as rape are always referred
to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.
She, therefore, urged communities to embrace the laws and
use them as a guide in all their dealings.
Flagging off the GBV Awareness Month, the Attorney General
and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, said the 2026 theme, “Implementing the Akwa Ibom
State VAPP Law: From Awareness to Action,” was a reminder that
the state has moved beyond sensitization to implementation.
While recounting some of the challenges hindering the
implementation of the VAPP Law, such as cultural barriers and family pressure,
the Attorney General warned that the termination of prosecutions or
out-of-court settlements would never be considered in situations where a man or
woman’s ribs are broken, a child is defiled, or a wife is battered unconscious.
Udom called on judges to be cautious in exercising their
discretion, especially in granting bail in severe GBV cases, saying that
granting bail to perpetrators of extreme acts of GBV could expose victims to
further harm.
The Attorney General also encouraged GBV victims to speak up
and report incidents, assuring them that the state government has put measures
in place not only to prosecute their abusers but also to provide them with safe
shelter.
“To our judges and magistrates, I appeal to you. The law
gives you discretion. Use it to protect survivors. When a GBV offender seeks
bail, ask yourself: Will this person return to intimidate the victim? Will the
survivor feel safe to testify? If the answer is no, let your decision reflect
the reality on the ground, not just the textbook,” he appealed.
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