CSOs reject moves by some states to pass watered down versions of VAPP Act

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) says a move by some states to adopt a watered-down version of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP)aimed at reducing punishments for violence against women and girls is totally unacceptable.

The coalition which was represented by the Convener of the #StateofEmergencyGBV movement in Abuja Chioma Agwuegbo and the Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal made their position known at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.

Agwuegbo while lamenting the fact that violence against women was still on the rise, called on the affected states to urgently amend the watered-down versions to reflect the 2015 version which was passed by the National Assembly.

While acknowledging that national leaders could modify laws in line with the socio-political peculiarity of their states, the coalition stressed that the standard remained the 2015 version of the VAPP passed by the National Assembly.

Agwuegbo who is also the founder of Techher, charged the Nigeria Governors Forum to establish independent specialized courts for sexual offences

“A Sexual Offenders Register should be opened in all the states. The police should implement well-resourced functional Family Support Units and Force Gender Units of the Nigeria Police Force to address GBV cases in collaboration with and at the state level,” Agwuegbo said.

“Also, there should be public disciplinary measures against officers of the Nigeria Police Force and state prosecutors who mishandle cases of GBV.

“That is what a state of emergency should entail, but tragically, we have seen more rhetoric than action while young girls and women are daily molested, raped and killed by a growing number of criminals.” She added.

She further called on all well-meaning Nigerians to demand action from leaders at every level.

In his remarks Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal, who lamented the fact that Nigeria was ranked the seventh most dangerous country in the world for women to live in the World Population Review, said the recent suspension of twitter by the federal government would negatively affect the reporting of issues around sexual based violence.