Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Anambra State Government has disclosed ongoing plans to institutionalize physical register for sex offenders to help combat sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
The State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Sylvia Ifemeje, gave the hint at a one-day stakeholders meeting organised by the Ministry of Justice with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, RoLAC program 2, in Awka, the state capital.
Ifemeje, represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice, Barr Ngozi Iwuno, said the state is in the process of institutionalizing physical register at the Ministry to complement the digital system and improve accessibility across agencies.
She reported that Anambra has made commendable strides in prosecuting SGBV cases, noting that from the previous quarter’s report of 47 offenders, 11 convictions, and 12 ongoing cases, the state has currently recorded 76 offenders, 13 convictions, and 31 ongoing cases.
She said the move to establish the physical register reaffirms the state’s commitment to playing a leadership role in fostering accountability, justice, and survivor-centered prosecution mechanisms.
RoLAC Anambra team lead, Dr Josephine Onah, during her address, emphasized that the register will be circulated widely and will contain the names and details of individuals convicted of sexual gender-based violence (SGBV), including rape, defilement, and other forms of sexual abuse.
According to Onah, the initiative which is domiciled in the ministry of justice is funded by the European Union and implemented by the International IDEA.
“This is another mechanism that the RoLAC programme has introduced. The sexual offenders register is designed to take account and stock of issues that happen within the domain of SGBV in the state. It is a register that collates and takes into cognisance all offenders especially the serial ones that had been convicted and with likelihood of committing another one.
“This register has provided the platform to name and shame the offenders. When we name and shame the offenders, the likelihood is that people go into the register, view the names and see individuals that are culprits already.
“This register is being domiciled under the NAPTIP platform with the responsibility of coordinating and overseeing everything in the register. But it has been tickled down to the state Ministry of Justice to perform the coordination function.
“We want to sensitize the public on what the existence of the sexual offenders register will do for us in Anambra State. So many people are clueless on what the register is all about and that is why we are embarking on it. We want it to become a household information that people are aware of.”
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Nneka Umeozulu, expressed concern over the increasing number of SGBV cases, noting that Anambra has recorded 90 cases, representing a significant increase from previous 47. She noted that the prevalence of SGBV is overwhelming, with most cases being rape cases involving infants and minors.
Commending RoLAC and other partners, Rachael Yohanna, Service Providers and Accountability Resource Committee (SPARC) chairperson, urged stakeholders in churches, communities and schools to help escalate the fight against SGBV by educating the public and reporting cases to bring perpetrators to shame.
