The Anambra State Government has directed moves to ensure that people who prevent women and girls from inheriting property are investigated and prosecuted.
The state Attorney-General, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, made this known in a letter to the Nigeria Police Force, requesting thorough investigations into reported cases of gender-based disinheritance.
Nweke said some women and girls continued to face discrimination when seeking to inherit properties belonging to their parents, with customs and traditional practices often cited as justification.
He noted that such practices remained unlawful despite previous Supreme Court decisions which affirmed the right of females to inherit property.
According to the Attorney-General, denying a woman or girl inheritance solely because of her gender constitutes an offence under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State, which carries a penalty of up to four years’ imprisonment.
The letter 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 Unit to handle the prosecution of offenders under the above-mentioned law, alongside other forms of domestic violence and sexual offences.”