There are only two known sex offenders registry in Nigeria one in Lagos established in 2014 and another in Ekiti. These registries are however not updated regularly.
A sex offender registry is a database containing information about convicted sex offenders. This is maintained and accessed by law enforcement to keep track of the activities of sex offenders in the community. It is necessary to have one in every state because citizens have a right to know if a sex offender resides in their neighbourhood, it is also a useful tool for law enforcement in the identification of sexual offenders. This ensures the safety of citizens.
The consent workshop has launched a petition for the creation and maintenance of a sex offenders registry at a federal level and within all 36 states in Nigeria. We are suggesting that
- The list be updated regularly based on every conviction from the sexual offences Court.
- Awareness should be created with regards to this list, as many are not aware that it exists in the first place.
- The sex offenders list take the form of loose leaf, bound leaf or digital form or all of the above for better safe keeping.
- A copy of the register should be kept in the State High Court’s registry/ database, at the police station and a selected non-governmental agency that caters to victims of sexual assault. This makes it almost impossible for offenders from getting their names off the register and also prevent any tampering whatsoever with the list
As of today, 2127 people have signed the petition and while that is a lot, it is not enough.
Sign this petition today to be part of this crucial step in the battle against rape culture.