Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka
Stakeholders in the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) have renewed calls for stronger collaboration and accountability, as the number of entries in the Anambra State Sexual Offenders Register rose sharply from 90 in July to 132 in September 2025.
The call was made during the quarterly meeting of the Service Providers Accountability Resource Committee (SPARC), held on Monday, September 29, 2025, at the Attorney-General’s Conference Hall, Ministry of Justice, Awka.
In her remarks, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, represented by Barrister Chisom Anyaenem, reminded participants that the register was not just a list of names but a shield for communities. She recounted how a town had recently written to verify the record of a contestant for community leadership.
“This is why reporting and record-keeping matter. The register is protection,” she said.
“The register is protection.
The State Coordinator of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, Dr. Josephine Onah, explained that the initiative, funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA, focuses on improving access to justice for women and persons with disabilities. She stressed that synergy among government agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), service providers, and community actors remained crucial to sustaining the campaign.
SPARC Coordinator and Director of Davina Care Foundation, Mrs. Yohanna Rachel, announced the latest figures, attributing the progress to improved collaboration with the police and new support from the State CID. She, however, cautioned that some divisions still posed challenges and called for greater access to higher institutions for sensitisation campaigns.
One testimony underscored the stakes. A participant, Mrs. Uju, narrated how a 20-year-old rape survivor’s case in Onitsha was nearly dropped by a police division on claims of the suspect’s “insanity.” With SPARC’s intervention, the case was transferred to SCID for proper handling.
Civil society organisations and service providers, including Creative Minds Initiative, Intacom, and Davina Care Foundation, shared experiences and called for the establishment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Commission to help fund activities. Hadis Foundation also trained participants on the use of the National Sexual Offenders Database (www.nsod.naptip.gov.ng), urging increased awareness of the platform.
As the meeting closed, participants—including representatives of government, CSOs, the clergy, student unions, schools, the media, and communities—pledged to intensify awareness and sustain collaboration.
For them, the rising figures on the offenders register were not just statistics but testimonies of survivors and proof that silence is steadily giving way to justice in Anambra State.
