Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, has fixed January 20, 2026, for the hearing of a landmark case filed by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and other government agencies over the rights of victims of rape and incest.
The suit, numbered FHC/LAG/975/2025, also lists the Minister of Health, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) as respondents.
WARDC, represented by a team of lawyers including Prof. Yemi Oke (SAN), Dr. Yinka Owoeye, Emmanuella Azu, Deji Folorunsho, and Oluwatobi Adeniregun, is asking the court to affirm several rights for victims of rape and incest. Among the reliefs sought are judicial declarations guaranteeing victims access to safe termination of pregnancy, comprehensive medical care, psychological support, and medical abortion services as provided under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act).
The organisation is also requesting any additional orders the court may deem necessary to protect the rights and dignity of survivors of sexual violence.
During Thursday’s proceedings, none of the respondents appeared in court, prompting Justice Allagoa to adjourn the matter. Counsel to the applicants, Prof. Oke, expressed disappointment over the government’s absence, describing the case as “a matter of unique importance and national significance.”
“This is a matter every conscious Nigerian and global citizen should be concerned about,” Prof. Oke stated. “We are here to move the hand of justice to uphold the rights of victims of rape and incest to safe termination of pregnancy.”
Justice Allagoa, however, stressed the need for proof of service to confirm that all respondents had been properly notified before proceeding with the hearing.
The court subsequently adjourned the case to January 20, 2026, for hearing. Legal observers have described the suit as a major test of government accountability in upholding the rights and welfare of sexual violence survivors in Nigeria.
