With the increasing cases of violence across Nigeria especially rape,
it has become pertinent to see how much the citizenry know about the
existence of laws which provide protection for victims as well as
criminalize violence.
One of such laws is the Violence Against Persons Prohibition, VAPP Act .

The VAPP Act prohibits all forms of violence in private and public life and provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.

The VAPP Act was passed into law in 2015 and domesticated in Anambra
State in 2018, as the first state to do so in Nigeria.
But when ABS went to town, it found out that majority of the people
interviewed were not aware of the law.

Messrs Williams Onuoha, Sunday Ozoekwe, Mrs. Ijeoma Umejesi, and Mrs.
Theresa Egbeonu, among others, who were previously not aware of the
law, all later agreed that it was a welcome development.
In addition, Mrs. Egbeonu, who is a nurse, stressed the need for
government to adequately fund the National Orientation Agency, to
enable it carry out an effective sensitization exercise.

However, the State Director, National Orientation Agency, Barrister
Charles Nwoji, explained how his Agency in a joint effort with the
National Population Commission and Anambra state Ministry of Women and
Children’s Affairs, embarked on a state wide tour, sensitizing the
citizenry on dangers of violence against persons among other issues.
Barrister Nwoji affirmed that implementation of the VAPP law as well
as people getting to know the sanctions specified against violence,
will help in reducing violence like rape, which is now rampant.

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