Lawyers, human rights organisations and other stakeholders have called for broader provisions in the Abia State Centre for the Rehabilitation of Survivors of Rape, Defilement, Domestic Violence and Any Form of Human Trafficking Law No. 3 of 2026.
The stakeholders made the demand on Friday during a sensitisation workshop organised by the African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support (CHARS-Africa) in Umuahia.
They said the legislation should be strengthened to provide survivors with adequate legal assistance, rehabilitation, educational support and protection throughout the justice process.
Participants, including Chidinma Alozie, Ogbuagu Chidinma Pamela and David Anyaele, stressed that perpetrators of rape, gender-based violence and human trafficking should face appropriate punishment in court.
They also warned against out-of-court settlements that could deny survivors justice, insisting that any settlement must comply with due process and protect the rights of victims.
The Abia State Coordinator of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Obinna Odenigbo, called for stronger safeguards for rape survivors from the initial police investigation through prosecution and rehabilitation.
Odenigbo said survivors should have access to free legal representation and support in obtaining and preserving medical reports that could strengthen their cases in court.
He also condemned insensitive questions directed at rape survivors during police investigations, warning that such treatment could deepen their trauma and discourage them from pursuing justice.
“It is wrong for a police officer, during an investigation, to start asking a rape victim, ‘Are you not an adult?’” he said.
According to Odenigbo, insensitive treatment of survivors could cause additional psychological harm and, in some cases, lead victims to abandon the prosecution of their alleged attackers.
The stakeholders further proposed expanding the governing board of the rehabilitation centre to include representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), practising journalists, the Abia State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and other relevant institutions.
They also identified the absence of educational funding in the law as a gap that should be addressed, arguing that survivors should receive support to continue their education.
The participants rejected claims linking indecent dressing by young girls to rape, describing such arguments as misplaced and harmful to survivors.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of CHARS-Africa, Amaka Biachi, commended the Abia State Government for enacting the legislation but expressed concern over the limited awareness of its provisions among residents.
Biachi said only about five per cent of Abia residents were aware of the law, calling for increased public sensitisation so that survivors and members of the public can understand the protections and support available under the legislation.
