Nweke has also directed the Nigeria Police Force to investigate complaints of gender-based disinheritance and forward the relevant case files to his office for prosecution.
The Attorney General disclosed this in a letter addressed to the police and personally signed by him. The letter was made available to journalists on Monday, 28 September 2026.
According to the letter, the practice of denying women and girls inheritance rights solely because they are female constitutes a criminal offence under Section 22 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 of Anambra State.
The offence is punishable by up to four years’ imprisonment.
The Attorney General urged the police to thoroughly investigate all reported cases of gender-based disinheritance and transmit the case files to the Ministry of Justice for further action.
He said the ministry had designated its Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Unit to handle the prosecution of offenders under the law.
The unit will also prosecute other cases involving domestic violence and sexual offences, according to the letter.
The move comes against the backdrop of several Supreme Court decisions declaring customs and practices that prevent women from inheriting property unconstitutional and unlawful.
Despite these judicial pronouncements, the state government said discriminatory practices denying females inheritance rights continue to occur in some parts of Anambra.
The Attorney General’s directive is therefore aimed at strengthening the enforcement of existing laws and ensuring that victims of gender-based disinheritance have access to legal redress.
The Ministry of Justice urged the police to treat complaints of the practice seriously and ensure that cases meeting the relevant legal threshold are promptly referred for prosecution.
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