Abia State governor, Alex Otti has signed into law the State Centre for the Rehabilitation of Survivors of Rape, Defilement, Domestic Violence, and any form of Human Trafficking Law of 2026.
At the event, he thanked the State House of Assembly for the speedy passage of the Bill, his wife, Priscilla Otti, and other government officials for their efforts towards realising the Law.
His words, “I thank the commissioners in charge of Women Affairs, and Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, and members of the team for putting together this Bill.”
Otti, who said that he believes that the state would get to a point where it would start closing the rehabilitation centres, noted that the real issue is about reorientation of the people.
He said his government has been intentional in engaging the people and creating employment to ensure that the youths have something doing as idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
”So, some of the things we are doing to keep our people productively engaged, we do that because we understand that If they are not engaged, they will be otherwise engaged.
”And so, it is our responsibility to ensure that jobs are created, to ensure that people are busy doing things that are productive,” the governor said.
Presenting the Bill earlier, the speaker of the House, Emmanuel Emeruwa said that the Bill deals with the rehabilitation of victims of rape and other gender based violence.
”We have gone through the necessary process that will bring it to this table for assent. But importantly, this Bill deals with the rehabilitation of victims of rape and other violence.
”And this is why this Bill received very speedy passage. So, I am very proud to be associated with the passage, so that something very positive will be started in our State,” Emeruwa stated.
In her reaction in an interview, Mrs Otti, who initiated the Bill noted that the legal framework gives hope to girls and women, adding that with it justice would be speedier for them.
”This Law gives hope to our women and girls, a hope that not only would they get support, that they would also be rehabilitated and given the support they need to move forward as normal citizen,” she said.
