A legal practitioner, Mrs Adaku Mbama, says structural, procedural and enforcement challenges hinder the prosecution and conviction of perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria.
Mbama, the pioneer chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Badagry Branch, said Nigeria had a relatively strong legal framework against GBV, but its implementation remained uneven.
She identified the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, as a comprehensive law criminalising rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, stalking and economic abuse.
According to her, the Act requires domestication by states, while differences in implementation, funding and institutional capacity limit its effectiveness.
She said survivors also faced difficulties obtaining medical reports, forensic evidence and legal representation, while delays in prosecutorial advice and court proceedings contributed to low conviction rates.
“A survivor reports to the police, but inadequate evidence kits delay medical reports, while prosecutorial delays and family pressure may force survivors to withdraw, resulting in cases being struck out,” she said.
Mbama said inadequate witness protection, stigma, victim-blaming and economic dependence also discouraged survivors from pursuing cases against perpetrators.
She noted that some survivors faced pressure from family members, community leaders and religious authorities to settle cases out of court, particularly when the accused was a family member or breadwinner.
The lawyer said Lagos, Ekiti and Kaduna states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, had recorded improvements through specialised courts, Sexual Assault Referral Centres, trained prosecutors and access to legal assistance.
“The major gap is not the wording of the law, but the administrative infrastructure to enforce it – funding, forensic capacity, training and witness protection,” she said.
Mbama called for legal reforms, better-funded GBV response services, trained police officers, specialised courts, dedicated prosecutors, functional sex offenders’ registers and improved protection for survivors and witnesses.
