Anambra Central Senatorial Zone -Why Princess Mbakwe Deserves The Seat

By Emeka Chiaghanam

Anambra State Government has begun moves to prosecute people who deny women and girls the right to inherit property because of their sex, directing the police to investigate complaints and forward relevant case files to the Ministry of Justice.

Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, gave the directive in a letter personally signed and addressed to the Nigerian Police. The letter was made available to journalists on Monday, September 26, 2026.

The government said gender-based disinheritance constitutes an offence under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State, with offenders liable to a prison sentence of up to four years.

Nweke asked the police to ensure that complaints involving women or girls being denied inheritance because they are female are properly investigated. He further directed that completed case files should be sent to the Ministry of Justice for further legal action.

The Attorney General said the Ministry had already designated its Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, Unit to prosecute such cases. The unit will also continue handling other matters involving domestic violence and sexual offences.

The latest directive comes despite previous Supreme Court decisions which declared customs and practices preventing females from inheriting property unconstitutional and unlawful. The state government said such discriminatory practices nevertheless continue in some communities.

Under the new arrangement, police investigations will form the basis for possible prosecution by the Ministry of Justice. The government is therefore seeking closer cooperation between law enforcement authorities and prosecutors in dealing with reported cases.

The Attorney General's office urged the police to treat complaints of gender-based disinheritance as matters requiring investigation rather than dismissing them as private family or customary disputes.

The move places renewed attention on the rights of women and girls to inherit property and signals the state's intention to use existing legislation against practices that continue to exclude them on the basis of gender.