The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, lawyers and human rights groups have called for amendments to the Abia State Centre for the Rehabilitation of Survivors of Rape, Defilement, Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Law No. 3 of 2026 to strengthen protection for victims.
The call was made on Friday in Umuahia during a sensitisation workshop organised by the African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support (CHARS-Africa).
Participants at the workshop said the law should include stronger provisions to ensure perpetrators of rape, gender-based violence and human trafficking face appropriate punishment through the courts, while protecting the rights of survivors.
They also stressed that any out-of-court settlement in such cases must follow due process and should not undermine justice for victims.
Abia State Coordinator of the Legal Aid Council, Obinna Odenigbo, urged the government to provide comprehensive protection for rape survivors from the investigation stage through rehabilitation and prosecution.
He said survivors should have access to free legal representation and assistance in obtaining and safeguarding medical reports needed to support their cases in court.
Odenigbo also criticised insensitive questioning of rape victims during police investigations, warning that such conduct could further traumatise survivors and discourage them from pursuing justice.
Participants further recommended expanding the governing board of the rehabilitation centre to include representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the media, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and other relevant stakeholders.
They also called for the creation of educational support funds for rape survivors and rejected claims that indecent dressing was responsible for the rising incidence of rape in the state.
Executive Director of CHARS-Africa, Amaka Biachi, commended the Abia State Government for enacting the law but said public awareness remained low, noting that only a small percentage of residents were aware of its existence.
