By Emmanuel Toochukwu Ekuma, Program Officer
Across communities in Ebonyi State, people experience all forms of violence ranging from physical, sexual, psychological, verbal, emotional or economic violence. These infringe on and impair the enjoyment by people of their human rights and fundamental freedom. Therefore, Ebonyi State has adopted the “Violence Against Persons Prohibition” (VAPP) law in 2018, as a tool for effective use by all stakeholders to aggressively engage in the fight to end all forms of violence against human beings.
Consequently, PDA with support from ActionAid Nigeria, organized a two-day cluster training for the leaders of 6 different communities of Amuro, Agba Amaeta, Ozziza, Edda, Ogbegu Odada and Okpuitumo. The training was conducted in 2 different locations of Okpuitumo and Amikpo communities on the 5th and 6th May 2021 respectively with over 75 participants in attendance including 4 males and 2 females between the ages of 15 – 29 years, 21 males and 48 females aged 30 years and above.
Photo: Group photograph of participants during the VAPP law training at Amikpo community.
Ekuma Emmanuel welcomed all participants and introduced the new Executive Director, Arukwe Chidinma to the community people. The ED gave the opening remark and stated the objectives of the training which were:
- To train 32 females and 20 males of Amikpo, Amaeta, Amuro, Okpuitumo, Obegu-Odada, Edda communities on the meaning/concept of violence against persons
- To identify the different forms of violence against persons as stated in the law, and
- To understand the punishment for each form of violence as covered by the law.
Ekuma Emmanuel facilitated the training. He started by asking them whether they have heard of the Ebonyi State VAPP law. Responding to the facilitator, no one agreed to either have heard nor seen the law. So the facilitator went on to inform the community leaders that the State now has a law that provides maximum protection for victims of violence, and sufficient punishment for perpetrators of violence in both private and public places. In a bid to explain the VAPP law, he asked, ‘’what is law?” The community people gave the following responses.
Madam Ijeoma Ogeogu said law is the rules and regulation that governs a people. Solomon added that laws are rules given by two or more persons in agreement, to protect victims and provide punishment for offenders in a society. In his explanation, the facilitator stated that a law co-prohibits violence in private and public life, eliminate all forms of violence against persons, provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders and other related matters thereto.
Furthermore, the facilitator went on to discuss all the 26 sections of the Ebonyi State VAPP law 2018, defining each section and stating the punishment contained therein. The sections of the law are:
No. 1 Rape:
The facilitator asked the participants, “What is rape?” Monday from Obegu Odada replied, ’rape is having carnal knowledge of someone without his/her consent”. The facilitator further asked the community people if they have had any rape issue from their communities, they said “Yes”. He asked again, “can a man be rape” the communities’ agreed and cited series of examples where young boys had been raped by both women and other men. He then asked how they handle rape issues in their communities. Hyacinth said that when there is an incidence of rape in Okpuitumo community, the perpetrator is taken to the Igwe’s palace who then hands the perpetrator over to the police. Other communities had their own ways of handling rape cases, but the common thing in all is that the perpetrator is finally handed over to the police to face the law.
However, the facilitator clearly explained that the VAPP law states that a person commits the offence of rape if he or she intentionally penetrates the vagina, and or mouth of another person with any other part of his or her body or anything else without the consent of the other person. He further explained to the participants that in the case of a child (less than 18 years old), consent is immaterial. Similarly, he explained to the participants that the punishment for rape as stated in the VAPP law is 12 years imprisonment without an option of fine. In the case of rape by a group of persons, the offenders are liable jointly to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment for each person of the group without and option of fine or a maximum of life imprisonment.
Other sections of the VAPP law covered during the training with their punishment can be found in the report on the PDA website (cut the detail below from the Newsletter)
- Physical injury: A term of 5 years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding N100,000 and not less than N50,000.
- Coercion: A term of 3 years imprisonment
- Placing a person in fear of physical injury: A term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding N200,000 or both.
- Offensive conduct: A term of imprisonment of 2 years or to a fine not exceeding N500,000 and not less than N200,000 or both.
- Prohibition of female genital circumcision or genital mutilation: A term of imprisonment of 4 years or to a fine of N200,000 or both.
- Frustrating an investigation: A term of imprisonment not less than 2 years and not exceeding 3 years or to a fine not less than N200,000 and not exceeding N500,000 or both.
- Wilfully making false statement: A fine of N200,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months.
- Forcefully ejecting from home: A term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not exceeding N300,000 or both.
- Depriving a person of his or her liberty: A term of imprisonment of 2 years or to a fine not less than N100,000 and not exceeding N000 or both.
- Damage of property with intent to cause distress: A term of imprisonment of not less than 1 year and not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not less than N100,000 or both.
- Forced financial dependence or economic abuse: A term of imprisonment not less than 1 year and not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not less than N300,000 and not exceeding N000 or both.
- Forced isolation from family and friends: A term of imprisonment of 6 months or to a fine of N100,000 or both.
- Emotional, verbal and psychological abuse: A term of imprisonment of 1 years or to a fine not exceeding N000 or both.
- Harmful widowhood practices: A term of imprisonment not less than 1 year and not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not less than N100,000 and not exceeding N000 or both
- Abandonment of children and immediate aged parents without sustenance: A term of imprisonment of 3 years or to a fine not less than N300,000 and not exceeding N000 or both.
- Stalking: A term of imprisonment not less than 1 year and not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not less than N200,000 and not exceeding N000 or both.
- Intimidation: A term of imprisonment of 1 years or to a fine not less than N100,000 and not exceeding N000 or both.
- Spousal battery: A term of imprisonment of 3 years or to a fine of N000 or both.
- Harmful traditional practices: A term of imprisonment not less than 3 years and not exceeding 5 years or to a fine not less than N300,000 and not exceeding N000 or both.
- Attack with harmful substance: A term of imprisonment of life imprisonment without an option of fine.
- Political violence: A term of imprisonment of 4 years or to a fine of N000 or both.
- Violence by state actors: A term of imprisonment of 4 years or to a fine of N1,000.000 or both.
- Incest: A minimum term of 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
- Administering a substance with intent: A term of imprisonment of 10 years or to a fine of N000 or both.
- Indecent exposure: A term of imprisonment of 1 years or to a fine of N000 or both.
As the sections of the VAPP were discussed, so many questions and contributions were made by the participants such as: Madam Regina Echem from Okpuitumo lamented that there are some widowhood practices that exit in Okpuituma community that are very harmful to the widow. According to her, when a man dies and his wife is suspected of having a hand in his death, she is forced to eat a meat that is put in the dead man’s mouth to prove her innocence.
On the offence of genital mutilation, Madam Roseline Ogbonna and Regina said that though Okpuitumo community has stopped FGM, but there are still some people who secretly circumcise the girl child in their community. She added that the knowledge of the VAPP law will help them fight for complete elimination of FGM because it has led to many premature deaths of girl children through bleeding in their communities.
In the same vein, Eunice of Amuro community, said that the harmful traditional practice placed on the widows are much as their rights are been violated. She proposed that PDA develop a suggestion box where reports of violence can be dropped. Again, she asked if report of violence can be done by anyone or the victim. The facilitator commended her request as it was a good one. However, she was told that getting a suggestion box is good, but it would be better if calls of violence are placed to PDA or the directly to the police for immediate action.
Again, Uche Oko from Amuro asked if it was right for a husband to ask his wife to quit her job promising to take care and foot the wife’s bills. The facilitator responded; thus, “so long as the husband did not force or coerce her to stop working. Once it was out of mutual agreement between the two partners there is nothing wrong with it”.
At the end of the training, the community people were issued copies of the Ebonyi State VAPP law.
Action Plan
The trained community leaders agreed to step down the training in their respective communities on/before the end of May 2021.