A legal practitioner, Mrs Adaku Mbama, has identified structural, procedural and enforcement challenges as major obstacles to 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 for addressing GBV, but its implementation remained uneven.
She identified the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, as a comprehensive law criminalising offences such as rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, stalking and economic abuse.
However, she explained that the Act required domestication by states, while disparities in implementation, funding and institutional capacity continued to limit its effectiveness.
According to her, 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 added that inadequate witness protection, social stigma, victim-blaming and economic dependence discouraged many survivors from pursuing justice against their alleged perpetrators.
She noted that some survivors were pressured by family members, community leaders and religious authorities to settle cases outside court, particularly when the accused was a relative or the family’s breadwinner.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Receives 2027 UN Budget Proposal from Nigeria’s Envoy
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, increased funding for GBV response services, better-trained police officers, specialised courts, dedicated prosecutors, functional sex offenders’ registers and stronger protection for survivors and witnesses.
