The Niger State Government has said that wife beaters in the state will spend three years imprisonment on conviction.
The Niger State director of planning, research and statistics in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Mary Yisa, disclosed this on Tuesday to journalists while speaking on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment in Minna.
Yisa said the state now has a robust legal, policy noting that henceforth, any person who batters his or her spouse in the state, is liable to conviction to a term of three years imprisonment.
Pointing out that such spouses have a N200,000 option of fine.
Yisa said, “The SEASH broadly encompasses physical, sexual, economic, psychological/emotional abuse/violence including threats and coercion, and harmful practices that occur between individuals either at the place of work, within families and in the community, at large.”
She said such violations also include sexual violence, domestic or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), trafficking, forced and/or early marriage, and other traditional practices that might cause harm.
“Niger State has robust legal, policy and institutional frameworks for addressing GBV, which include the Violence Against Person Prohibition Law and Child Right Act, penal code, section 34 of the constitution the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other laws peculiar to the state at large as well as Child Rights law.
“Niger state is also blessed with bountiful policies such as integrated Gender Policy embedded with 5 years strategic Action Plan (SAP), Communication Strategy and MnE framework, Violence Against Person Prohibited (VAPP) Law, Standard Operational Procedure on Prevention and response to GBV amongst others.
“A person who batters his or her spouse commits offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) or both,” she said.
Yisa further disclosed that the law also provides that “a person who attempts to commit the act of violence provided for in subsection(1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or to a fine not exceeding One hundred thousand naira (N100,000) or both.
“And, a person who incites, aids, abets, or counsels another person to commit the act of violence as provided for in subsection (1), commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) or both,” she added.
