Protection, punishment and all you need know about women inheritance laws

Lady justice

BBC
Di Women inheritance laws recognize and uphold di rights of girl pikin to own and inherit property

“Women, like men get right to not only own, but also inherit property of dia parents.”

Dis na di koko of di new law wey di Governor of Abia State for South-Eastern Nigeria, Okezie Ikpeazu sign.

Governor Ikpeazu as e dey sign di law say, “dis law get positive impact and go put society for di path of equal opportunities and sustainable development.”

Di title of di law na, ‘Law to provide for the Right of a Female Person to Inherit and Own Property and of other Matters Connected Therewith’.

E give legal backing to di fact say woman or a female pesin for Abia State get di right to own property and also inherit property.

Wit dis Abia State don join Rivers State for Southern Nigeria to get law wey empower women to inherit property especially for her papa house.

Di Rivers state goment bin pass similar Law wey be ‘Prohibition of the Curtailment of Women’s Rights to Share in Family Property Law 2022’.

Governor Nyesom Wike sign am for 15 September, 2022.

Wetin Supreme Court of Nigeria tok

Abua Governor and some House of Assembly members

Abia State Govt House Media
Governor Ikpeazu say dis law go put society on di path to development

Before all dis State Houses of Assembly make dis laws, di Supreme Court of Nigeria bin don give ruling wey uphold di rights of women to inheritance.

Na for 2014 di Supreme Court of Nigeria settle dis matter.

Di judgment of di apex court come from one suit by Gladys Ada Ukeje for di Lagos High Court wia she claim say becos she be di daughter of her papa, she dey equally entitled to administer and inherit di property of her late father.

Di Lagos High Court bin don give judgment in her favour, wey make di opponents (wey be her Mama Mrs. Lois Chituru Ukeje and her brother, Lazarus Ogbonna Ukeje) to appeals to di Court of Appeal and eventually to di Supreme Court.

Di matter end in her favour for all di stages of di court.

Supreme Court say di Customary Law wey no allow a female pikin, no matter of di circumstances of her birth, from inheriting or take part in di sharing of di property and estate of her father, na violation of her right to freedom from discrimination as e dey for Section 42 (1) (2) of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Na dis one ginger States like Rivers and now Abia State for Southern Nigeria to get dis law from dia Houses of Assembly.

Wetin dis Rivers Women inheritance law tok?

Di Rivers State Prohibition of di Curtailment of Women’s Rights to share in family property law 2022 say a woman and female pikin get right to share in family property.

Di summary of di law na;

  1. Evri woman and female pikin dey entitled to freedom from evri form of discrimination.
  2. Evri woman and female pikin dey entitled to respect for di dignity of her pesin.
  3. No woman go dey subject to any form of discrimination  or suffer deprivation for di distribution, allocation or inheritance of family or community property.
  4. Evri woman dey entitled to share on di inheritance of her parents property,  except e dey odawise expressly tok for di Will of di parent.
  5. Any law, regulation,  custom or practice wey constitute discrimination amongst a woman dey void.
  6. A wife get di same rights and responsibilities as husband and so: A wife go possess di same rights and responsibilities in respect to acquisition and ownership of family property wit her husband
  7. A widow no go dey deprived if her rights and responsibilities in respect if di family property,  weda she get pikin or not for her husband wey don die.
  8. Di law apply to a legally married woman even if she don divorce or dey widowed, e go apply only wia she neva remarry.
  9. No pesin go ask or compel a woman to take oath to prove say she contribute to buy any family property
  10. No woman or female-pikin go by reason of her gender, dey deprived of any of her rights or responsibilities to participate for decision-making process of her family, especially wia dat decision go affect di right or responsibility as e concern di family property.
  11. Evri woman or female pikin get equal opportunity as a man or male pikin to express hersef as e concern family property.
  12. And so evri woman or female pikin go get di opportunity to express hersef as e concern di family property.

‘If you violate dis women’s inheritance law, you go go prison for five years’

Punishments dey for pesins wey disobey or violate dis law as e dey stated show di following:

  • Pesin wey discriminate or deprive a woman or female pikin in di distribution,  allocation or inheritance of family or community property don commit offences and dey liable upon conviction to go prison for five years or pay fine of N500,000,000 or both.
  • Pesin wey deprive a woman or female pikin of her right to share in di inheritance of her parents don commit offence and dey liable to go prison upon conviction for five years or pay fine of N500,000 or both.
  • Pesin wey deprive a widow of her right to inherit or partake in di family property wey her husband own don commit offence and dey liable on conviction to go prison for five years of pay fine of N500,000 or both.
  • Pesin wey attempt to evict or forcefully evict a widow from her family property don commit offence and e dey liable on conviction to go prison  for five years or pay fine of N500,000 or both.
  • Di law say pesin wey dey convicted of any offence under dis law go in addition to di punishment wey dey indicated,  also surrender to di complainant evri asset and oda entitlements for di family property wey she bin dey deprived of.