The Anambra State Government has commenced moves to prosecute individuals who deny women and girls their lawful inheritance on the basis of their gender.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, has directed the Nigerian Police Force to investigate reported cases of gender based disinheritance and forward the resulting case files to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.
The directive was contained in a letter personally signed by the Attorney General and made available to journalists on Monday, September 26, 2026.
According to Nweke, denying a woman or girl her inheritance simply because she is female constitutes a criminal offence under Section 22 of the Anambra State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017.
He stated that anyone convicted of the offence could face up to four years imprisonment.
The Attorney General further directed the police to ensure that complaints involving the denial of women’s inheritance rights are thoroughly investigated and forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for appropriate legal action.
To strengthen the prosecution of such cases, the Ministry has assigned the responsibility to its Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Unit.
The unit will handle cases involving the denial of inheritance rights, alongside other forms of domestic violence and sexual offences.
The state government’s latest move comes against the backdrop of Supreme Court decisions that have invalidated discriminatory customs and practices preventing women from inheriting property solely because of their gender.
Despite these judicial pronouncements, cases of women and girls allegedly being denied their inheritance rights on account of their sex continue to be reported.
The Attorney General’s directive is therefore aimed at strengthening enforcement of existing laws and ensuring that persons found to have unlawfully denied women their inheritance are subjected to due legal process.
By Enitan Mudashiru | MUK TV News
