Thousands of vulnerable victims of Gender-based Violence (GBV) in Akwa Ibom State have expressed anxiety over widespread masculine attacks on women in the 31 local government areas of the state.
Despite securing 102 convictions, the distraught victims who spoke on condition of anonymity, argued that the state government and other concerned agencies were not doing enough to protect women.
According to statistics by the Sexual and Gender-based Violence Response Department of the Ministry of Justice, the attacks including rape and domestic violence, occurred between January and May, 2026.
Chief Uforo Akpan, a community leader in Itu local government area, said “the figures revealed a painful reality that continues to confront families and communities across the state.”
LEADERSHIP gathered that of the 161 cases recorded in the first five months this year, 61 involved spousal battery, 46 were related to threats to life and physical assault, 18 were abandonment and forceful ejection from homes, 10 were on harmful widowhood practices, while 26 were rape cases.
The damning data came to the fore during the flag-off of the 2026 GBV awareness month held in Uyo, under the theme, “Implementing the Akwa Ibom State Violence Against Persons (VAPP) Law: From Awareness to Action.”
Beyond the figures for 2026, the cumulative statistics between June and December 2020, revealed that the state recorded 69 cases.
The figure rose to 141 in 2021, 316 in 2022, 368 in 2023, 465 in 2024, and peaked at 318 in 2025.
Combined with the 161 cases already recorded this year, the total number of reported cases since the enactment of the VAPP Law in June 2020 currently stood at 1,838, with 102 convictions secured, while several remain pending at various courts.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom (SAN), who expressed government determination to enforce deterrence measures, noted that the spike in such cases, was “a proof that victims are gradually finding the courage to speak up and seek justice.”
He recalled that the state was not merely marking another awareness campaign, but “celebrating six years of sustained efforts to transform the fight against GBV through the implementation of the VAPP Law.”
He described the June 2020 passage of the law as one of the most courageous decisions ever taken by the state government in protecting vulnerable citizens.
“Today, we gather not merely to mark a date on the calendar, but to reaffirm a covenant between this government and every citizen, especially the most vulnerable,” he said.
He noted that the 2026 theme reflects a deliberate shift from merely creating awareness to taking concrete actions capable of protecting survivors, prosecuting offenders and preventing future abuses.
Addressing concerns about the growing number of reported cases, the Attorney General insisted that the increase should be interpreted as a positive development in many respects, pointing out that “countless victims suffered in silence, trapped by fear, stigma, economic dependence and the belief that reporting abuse would lead nowhere.”
“Today, however, survivors are increasingly coming forward because they have confidence that the state will listen, investigate their complaints and pursue justice on their behalf, the silence is breaking,” he stressed.
He explained that “every report represents an individual who has overcome fear to seek help and every prosecution demonstrates a justice system gradually earning public trust.”
The Attorney General, however, warned that despite the progress made, deep-rooted cultural beliefs continue to undermine efforts to eradicate violence against women and other vulnerable groups, describing society as “largely chauvinistic, with attitudes that still view women and girls as possessions rather than individuals with rights and dignity.”
According to him, these harmful perceptions create an environment where abuse is normalised, excused or concealed.
He lamented the growing tendency of families and communities to pressure survivors into abandoning criminal cases in the name of reconciliation and condemned the popular phrase, “the matter has been settled,” insisting that violence cannot be erased by financial compensation or private agreements.
“When a child is defiled, when a woman is battered unconscious, when a victim’s bones are broken, there is no settlement that restores dignity,” he warned.
