Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno
Akwa Ibom State has intensified efforts to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV), with authorities revealing that 1,838 cases have been reported and 102 convictions secured since the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Law came into effect in June 2020.
The disclosure was made as the state commenced activities marking the 2026 Gender-Based Violence Awareness Month, an annual campaign dedicated to sensitising residents on the dangers of domestic violence, rape, defilement, spousal battery and other forms of abuse.
To kick-start this year’s campaign, the Ministry of Justice brought together service providers and civil society organisations working to eliminate GBV across the state. The organisations, many of which operate as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have undergone various trainings on GBV response mechanisms, case documentation and reporting procedures.
Speaking during the event, the Director of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Department in the Ministry of Justice, Emem Ette, said the state had continued to strengthen its response to violence against women, children and other vulnerable groups.
According to her, 161 new GBV cases were reported between January and May 2026, involving victims aged between three and 50 years.
A breakdown of the cases showed that spousal battery remained the most frequently reported offence during the period, accounting for 61 cases, representing 37.9 per cent of all incidents reported.
Ette said: “Threat to life and physical assault followed closely with 46 cases, representing 28.6 percent, while rape accounted for 26 cases or 16.1 percent.
“Other reported offences included abandonment and forceful ejection with 18 cases, while harmful widowhood practices accounted for 10 cases.
“A monthly breakdown of reported incidents showed that January recorded 27 cases, February 23, March 28, while April and May recorded the highest figures with 40 cases each.”
She also highlighted the yearly trend in reported cases since the enactment of the VAPP Law.
According to the data, the state recorded 69 cases between June and December 2020 shortly after the law came into force. The figure rose to 141 in 2021 and climbed further to 316 in 2022.
The upward trend continued in 2023 with 368 reported cases before reaching a peak of 465 cases in 2024, the highest annual figure recorded since the law was enacted.
Although reported cases dropped to 318 in 2025, Ette noted that the 161 cases already documented within the first five months of 2026 suggest that the state could record more than 380 cases before the end of the year if the current trend persists.
Addressing concerns over the increasing number of reported cases, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, said the figures should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of rising violence but rather as a sign that more survivors now trust the justice system.
According to him, victims who previously suffered in silence due to fear, stigma and societal pressures are increasingly willing to seek justice.
“For decades, these crimes hid in silence because of stigma and fear. Today, survivors are speaking out because they believe the system will listen and deliver justice,” he said.
Udom noted that the more than 100 convictions secured under the VAPP Law demonstrate the state’s commitment to ending impunity.
“These are not just statistics. Each conviction is a message that impunity will no longer be tolerated in Akwa Ibom State,” he stated.
The Attorney-General outlined several measures introduced since the law was enacted to strengthen support for survivors and improve access to justice.
The interventions include the establishment of a dedicated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Department within the Ministry of Justice, shelters and skill acquisition centres for survivors, as well as Sexual Assault Referral Centres strategically located across the state.
He further disclosed that GBV response units have been established in all 31 local government areas, while community health workers, social welfare officers and security personnel have been trained as paralegals to assist survivors with documentation, referrals and legal support.
Despite the progress made, Udom expressed concern over cultural practices and societal pressures that often discourage victims from pursuing justice through the courts.
He condemned situations where perpetrators evade prosecution through monetary settlements or community-brokered resolutions.
“When a man or woman’s ribs are broken, when a child is defiled, when a wife is battered unconscious, there is no settlement that restores dignity. What these words really mean is that money has changed hands and justice has been buried,” he declared.
The commissioner also criticised the practice of granting bail to suspects in serious GBV cases, warning that it could expose survivors and witnesses to intimidation.
“When an abuser returns home on bail to the same compound where the survivor lives, the system is sending the wrong signal,” he said.
He therefore urged judges and magistrates to exercise caution when considering bail applications involving severe GBV offences.
June remains significant in Akwa Ibom’s anti-GBV campaign because it marks the anniversary of the VAPP Law, which was enacted in June 2020. Stakeholders have continued to describe the legislation as a critical legal framework for protecting survivors and prosecuting offenders.
Ette also commended the contributions of more than 50 non-governmental organisations partnering with the Ministry of Justice in community sensitisation, survivor support services and public awareness campaigns.
This year’s awareness campaign is themed “Implementing the AKS VAPP Law: From Awareness to Action,” reflecting the state’s determination to move beyond advocacy and ensure full implementation of the legislation.
While authorities acknowledge that increased reporting reflects growing public confidence in the justice system, they maintain that more work remains to be done to eliminate harmful cultural practices, strengthen survivor protection mechanisms, improve prosecution rates and ultimately reduce the prevalence of gender-based violence across the state.
With 1,838 reported cases, 102 convictions and support structures now spread across all 31 local government areas, Akwa Ibom continues to deepen its efforts to combat gender-based violence and ensure justice for survivors.
As Udom aptly put it, six years after the VAPP Law was enacted, “today that law has a face, the face of a girl who stayed in school because her abuser was jailed.”
