Idymish
Akwa Ibom State has recorded 161 fresh cases of gender-based violence between January and May 2026, with spousal battery emerging as the most reported offence within the period.
Statistics released by the Director, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Department of the Ministry of Justice, Barrister Emem Ette, during the flag-off of the June 2026 Gender-Based Violence Awareness Month in Uyo, showed that spousal battery accounted for 61 cases, followed by threat to life and physical assault with 46 cases, rape with 26 cases, abandonment and forceful ejection with 18 cases, while harmful widowhood practices recorded 10 cases.
A monthly breakdown of the figures showed that January recorded 27 cases, February 23, March 28, while April and May recorded the highest number with 40 cases each. The statistics further revealed that victims affected within the first five months of the year were between the ages of three and 50 years, underscoring the vulnerability of women and children to abuse across the state.
The ministry also disclosed that Akwa Ibom has recorded 1,838 cases of gender-based violence since the enactment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law in 2020, with 102 convictions secured so far. Data from the ministry showed that the state recorded 69 cases between June and December 2020, 141 cases in 2021, 316 cases in 2022, 368 cases in 2023, 465 cases in 2024, and 318 cases in 2025.
On the sidelines of the flag-off, husbands experiencing domestic violence were encouraged to speak up and seek help, with assurances that the state is ready to arrest and prosecute offenders regardless of gender. The VAPP Law is gender-sensitive and protects both men and women against all forms of abuse.
