The Niger State government has said that henceforth any person who batters his or her spouse in the state is liable to conviction to a term of three years imprisonment.

Speaking with journalists on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment (SEASH) in Minna, the Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Niger State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Mary Yisa, said the state now has a robust legal, policy and institutional frameworks for addressing Gender Based Violence (GBV). While disclosing that such spouses have options of N200,000 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 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.”

Accordingly, she said: “Niger State has robust legal, policy and institutional frameworks for addressing GBV, which include the Violence Against Person Prohibited Law and Child Right Act, penal code, section 34 of the constitution 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 of 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, among others.”