Niger state moves against domestic violence with 3-year jail term

BY SAKA BOLAJI

It is now an offence for any man to beat his partner or any kind of violence in Niger state.

The State Government has declared that henceforth, any person who batters his or her spouse in the state, will be liable to conviction to a term of three years imprisonment.

This position of the state government was made known by the Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Mary Yidsa.

She fielded questions from Journalists on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment (SEASH) in Minna, added that the state now has a robust legal, policy and institutional frameworks for addressing Gender Based Violence (GBV).

However she said that such spouses have options of N200,000 fine.

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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 amongst others.

“A person who batters his or her spouse commits offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) or both”.

Furthermore, Yisa disclosed that, subsection 2 provides that “a person who attempts to commit the act of violence provided for in subsection(1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or to a fine not exceeding One hundred thousand naira (N100,000) or both.

“And, a person who incites, aids, abets, or counsels another person to commit the act of violence as provided for in subsection (1), commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) or both”.