The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 (also known as VAPP Act) is a law enacted by the National Assembly (Nigeria) and was assented to become law by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on 2015. The goal of the Act is to "eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against persons and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders; and for related matters". The VAPP Act was enacted as a result of many gender-based violence and human rights abuse happening in Nigeria, including rape, maiming of spouse, forceful ejection from home, forced isolation, acid bath, and killing.
History The bill for Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) was enacted in 2013 and passed by the House of Representatives (Nigeria) on 14 May 2015, and passed by the Senate of Nigeria 14 May 2015. The two legislative houses completed all the processes and transmitted the bill for assent to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan signed the bill on 28 May 2015; according to the Nigerian constitution, the bill automatically became an Act and law which takes effect immediately.
Provisions The provisions of the VAPP Act are divided into parts as follows:
Part I - Offences The Part I of the Act has twenty six sub-sections which explained a number of offences including: definition of rape, inflicting physical injury on a person, coercion, wilfully placing a person in fear of physical injury, offensive conduct, prohibition of female circumcision or genital mutilation, frustrating investigation, wilfully making false statements, forceful ejection from home, depriving a person of his or her liberty, damage to property with intent to cause distress, forced financial dependence or economic abuse, forced isolation or separation from family and friends, emotional- verbal and psychological abuse, harmful widowhood practices, abandonment of spouse, children and other dependents with sustenance; stalking, intimidation, spousal battery, harmful traditional practices, attack with harmful substance, political violence, violence by state actors, incest schedule, and indecent exposure.
Part II - Jurisdiction of the Court Part II of the Act explains the extent of the court and the official power to make legal decisions and judgements on the offences. The jurisdiction includes the following: application for protection order, consideration of application, issuing of protection order, court's powers in respect of protection order, powers of police, warrant of arrest upon issuing of protection order, variation or setting aside of protection order, and discharge.
Part III- Service Providers Part III of this Act explains that no person shall disclose information that may reveal identity of people involved in proceedings. This sub-section includes prohibition of publication of certain information, registration and power of service providers, protection of officers, coordinator for prevention of domestic violence and dangerous sexual offenders.
Part IV - Regulatory Body This part explains that National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons is the regulatory body mandated to administer the provisions of the VAPP Act.
Part V- Consequential Amendment This sub-section posits that any offence committed or court proceedings that is ongoing with other laws of the land for a violence before the passage of this Act, shall as continue with the enforcement of the VAPP act.
Part VI - Interpretation The part VI is the last sub-section of the Act and it provided interpretations to so many terms such abandonment of women, children and other persons, accredited service provider, civil proceedings, court, domestic relationship, dangerous weapon, and many other terms in the Act.
Domestication of VAPP Act in States As at March 2022, Partners West Africa Nigeria reported that of the 36 states of Nigeria, only 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria) have domesticated the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 and only 5 states House of Assembly has passed the VAPP Act. The following states have domesticated the VAPP Act: +Passed by the ParliamentAssented by the Executive1Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria),May 23, 2015May 23, 20152Abia State,December 3, 2019October 1, 20203Adamawa StateMarch 1, 2021August 30, 20214Akwa Ibom StateJune 10, 2019June 19, 20205Anambra State201720176Bauchi State May 201520207Bayelsa State February 17, 202120208Benue StateMay 26, 2019May 28, 20199Borno State2022January 10, 202210Cross River State2021December 31, 202111Delta StateJuly 28, 2020October 7, 202012Ebonyi StateMay 1, 2018May 201813Edo StateJune 17, 2021August 5, 202114Ekiti State passed as Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Amendment Law2019 -15Enugu StateApril 4, 2019April 201916Gombe StateOctober 18, 2022December 13, 202217Imo StateJuly 27, 2021December 15, 202118Jigawa StateFebruary 24, 2021February 24, 202119Kaduna StateDecember 2018December 1, 201820Kano StateYet to be passed -21Katsina StatePassedDecember 22, 202322Kebbi StateSeptember 30, 2021July 27, 202223Kogi StateMarch 22, 2021June 27, 202224Kwara StateSeptember 24, 2020September 24, 202025Lagos State passed as the Protection Against Domestic Violence Law of Lagos State 2017 -26Nasarawa StateJanuary 6, 2021January 21, 202127Niger StateFebruary 24, 2021November 3, 202128Ogun StateJanuary 17, 2018201829Ondo StateJuly 2, 2021July 15, 202130Osun StateAugust 12, 2021October 11, 202131Oyo StateDecember 18, 2020February 26, 202132Plateau StateDecember 24, 2020May 19, 202233Rivers StateJanuary 2020Awaiting34Sokoto StateJanuary 19, 2021November 22, 202135Taraba StateFebruary 24, 2022 -36Yobe State2021April 16, 202237Zamfara StateDecember 20232023
Controversy
Feminist groups and non-governmental organisations working in women issues have stated that women and children are at danger in states where the VAPP Act has not been passed. Early marriage and other cultural issues have also been named an impediment to passage and assent of the VAPP Act in many northern states.
References