A total of 99 rapists have been thrown behind bars in Akwa Ibom State from 2020 to 2025 following the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law in the state.
Director, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Department and Secretary, Akwa Ibom State GBV Management Committee, Barr. Emem Ette, disclosed this at a press briefing to kick off the 2026 GBV Awareness Month in the state, tagged, “Let’s End Gender-Based Violence Together.”
Ette said the state secured 102 convictions within the period — 99 rape convictions and three convictions for spousal battery.
Ette, while noting the reduction in incidents of GBV cases in previous months, regretted the spike recorded in May, especially child rape cases, adding that the Committee collaborates with relevant stakeholders, including traditional rulers, to tackle gender-based violence in communities. She added that traditional rulers have been trained on GBV response protocols and how to avoid harmful customary settlements that undermine justice.
She also advocated life imprisonment for rape offenders to serve as a deterrent, even as she noted that such long incarceration could provide room for rehabilitation and behavioural change where necessary, citing instances where convicts exhibit good behaviour while awaiting trial.
“We’ve noticed another little spike in GBV, especially rape involving children. All of us should come together to fight these issues of gender violence. Out of all those cases, we have secured 102 convictions so far. Of that number, three were for spousal battery, while 99 were for rape,” she said.
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