This was decided after the 10th COVID-19 Teleconferencing meeting of the Nigeria Governors Forum on Wednesday.
In a communique signed by the Chairman of the NGF, Kayode Fayemi, and released on Thursday in Abuja, the governors also decided that rapists will face the full wrath of the law when caught.
They agreed to “Declare a State of Emergency on Sexual and Gender-based Violence. Governors strongly condemned all forms of violence against women and children and committed to ensuring that offenders face the maximum weight of the law;
“Call on State Governors that have not already domesticated relevant gender-based protection laws to domesticate the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, the Child Rights Act and the updated Penal Code to increase protection for women and children and ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of perpetrators in addition to creating a sex offender register in each State to name and shame.”
