Akwa Ibom Sentences 99 Rapists Over Five Years

In 2023, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in Nigeria passed a law that imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 99 years in prison for anyone convicted of rape. The legislation was introduced in response to a surge in sexual‑offence cases, with officials reporting that 99 rapists had been sentenced under the new law within the first five years of its implementation. The long‑term sentences are intended to serve as a deterrent and to signal the state’s zero‑tolerance stance on sexual violence. Views Nigeria