The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is preparing to consider a bill that seeks to criminalise sexual relationships involving married men and unmarried women.
The proposed legislation was revealed by lawyer Obiavel Albert Abigo in a Facebook post on Monday. According to him, the bill is sponsored by the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Inyang.
The bill states that any young girl, lady, or woman who engages in a s+xual relationship with a married man would be committing an offence under state law.
If found guilty, the woman would face a mandatory 10-year prison sentence, with no option of a fine. The married man involved, however, would not face jail time but would be required to pay a ₦2 million fine.
Abigo wrote: “The bill’s content specifies that any woman found guilty of engaging in a s+xual relationship with a married man will face a mandatory 10-year prison sentence without an option of a fine.”
He added that the bill is expected to be passed into law when it comes up for consideration at the House’s plenary session on Tuesday.
The proposed law has already raised questions about fairness, enforcement, and gender balance, with many Nigerians calling for deeper debate before any final decision is made