In Akwa Ibom State, where incidents of sexual and gender-based violence have scarred communities,  Emem Ette has emerged as a relentless champion for justice. Despite the daunting challenges in the judicial system in Nigeria, Ette has been committed to bringing perpetrators to justice and restoring dignity to victims.

Between 2017-2020, the Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARS) recorded 14,889 sexual gender-based violence survivors in Nigeria. Akwa Ibom State has been in the news for some prominent incidents. In 2020, the state government assent to the Violence Against Per­sons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, aimed at protecting citizens and punishing offenders. The Akwa Ibom State VAAP Law tackles a broad spectrum of critical issues, including rape, sexual harassment, coercion, intimidation, female genital mutilation (FGM), offensive conduct, and harmful traditional practices. It also stipulates penalties for these offenses. The government established the Akwa Ibom State Government Gender-Based Violence Management Committee (AKSGBV) and the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Department under the Ministry of Justice to handle these issues. With these systems birthed, the government was venturing into a terrain notorious for corruption, compromised decisions, and technicality, which impedes justice, especially when the privileged are the accused.

Implementing these laws in a justice system tainted by corruption and compromised decisions requires someone with unyielding integrity. That person turned out to be Emem Ette.

A seasoned lawyer and former Chair of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Akwa Ibom, Ette was appointed to head the Department of Sexual Offences and Gender-Based Violence. She also serves as Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee. With over 20 years in civil service and a reputation built on integrity, she was uniquely equipped to navigate the complex and often treacherous terrain of justice for sexual and gender-based violence victims.

Ette’s work involves confronting a flawed system where law enforcement officers often exploit victims, demanding bribes to file reports or pursue cases.

“We’ve seen victims turn away because they’re asked to pay for services that should be free,” Ette tells AL Nigeria that this misnomer was a recurring issue that troubled her and needed prompt action. “When police officers do that, they are re-traumatizing these victims and making them feel as if the government does not cater to them.”

To combat this, she made her department’s contact information publicly available, urging victims to report directly to her office for assistance without financial burdens. Ette said that the police sometimes, because of some highly placed individuals involved in cases of sexual offenses, fail to involve the Attorney General in such a case but rather grant fiat to private legal practitioners to file the information at the court. 

“When that is done, either they will kill that case or compromise,” she says. According to her, by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of the State, the Attorney General must be in the know of any criminal matter so that they will not only prosecute the case diligently but will enable the state to take account of it when he is called upon to do so.  Ette said the state has had to intervene several times to correct matters.

However, the battle did not end there, as Ette faced pressure from powerful individuals attempting to influence cases. 

“I once had a pastor beg for leniency for a rapist. I told him to wait, but he fled when he realized I wasn’t going to bend,” she recalls. Her unshakeable stance against corruption has made bribery attempts rare. “My reputation of being in this work for over 20 years goes before me. People know that coming to me with a bribe is a waste of time,” she adds. When asked to discuss the process of the case, she declined, citing confidentiality constraints.

Ette’s superiors and the reputation of the ministry she works for have made maintaining integrity a goal. “In our ministry, we are very uncompromising; people don’t come to put pressure on us because they know there is no need. Our Attorney General has already issued a regulation that no one comes to withdraw cases, not even the victim. Whatever happens to you is a crime against the state. If people keep coming to withdraw cases, it will get worse,” she states.

The immediate past chairman of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Uduak Ekong, who had recommended cases of sexual offences and gender-based violence to Emem Ette, says Ette is one of the few public officers she trusts and holds in high esteem.

“I knew her when I was the secretary of NAWOJ while she was the secretary of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria. She was always the person I would call when issues of sexual offenses and gender violence came to my attention. Even when she wasn’t the Chairperson of FIDA then, she had always been passionate about those issues,” Ekong tells AL Nigeria.

Ekong says now that Ette heads the Department of Sexual Offences and Gender-Based Violence, she has not changed; rather, she goes the extra mile to ensure justice and emotional comfort of the victims.

“Even in the middle of the night, the first person I will always call and get attention from when such issues get to my attention is Emem. When you call her, you will see prompt action taken no matter who is involved. It is more like a calling for her. She is very committed.”

Ekong says there were cases within her knowledge that highly placed individuals with resources and influence were involved. Yet, Ette will never allow those circumstances to influence her, and she is always fulfilled to see that the culprit in the end faces the law and the victims get relief.

“Some of these cases had people who had the resources and may want to have a reprisal against the victims. Emem will carry these victims to her house just to make sure that they are safe before taking these people to their shelter, which is outside the State Capital. According to her, this becomes imperative when highly placed individuals are involved and they can access the victims to influence or threaten them. 

“When someone is passionate about something the way she is, such people rarely compromise. I see in her a certain kind of passion. She does more than is officially required. On that basis, I am convinced that she is genuine about the course of justice,” she adds.

Ette’s steadfast commitment has yielded significant results. Between 2020 and 2024, her department secured convictions for 53 sexual offenders, with 10 convictions achieved in just the first nine months of 2024. She has also ensured that victims receive psychological support and compensation from their attackers.

Her dedication extends beyond immediate cases; Ette has built a system designed to outlast her tenure. She has trained a team of volunteers, legal professionals, and even survivors to continue her work, ensuring the sustainability of her department’s efforts. “Even if I leave tomorrow, my legacy of integrity will guide those who come after me,” she says.

Ette’s work has not gone unnoticed. In 2021, Accountability Lab Nigeria recognized her as one of the nation’s integrity icons, highlighting her tireless efforts to uphold justice and accountability in the face of immense pressure.

The job does not begin and end with Emem Ette. To ensure sustainability, she has trained many in the office, including interns and volunteers at the department as well as lawyers, on how to handle sexual and gender-based violence cases. She is optimistic that the legacy she has kept will sustain the department beyond her stay. “Due to the training I give people in this department, even if I leave tomorrow, I have people who can take over and act as if I were never here,” she shares.

Due to the strides recorded, the Department is now able to draw funds from its budget line items for the response to sexual and gender-based violence. According to the Akwa Ibom State 2024 Approved Budget, N10 million each was voted for provision of safe shelter for GBV survivors, furnishing of newly established rape referral centres, and establishment of trauma centres in 3 senatorial districts. As funding for her department continues to grow, with a promise by the governor for an increased budget in 2025, Emem Ette’s influence is spreading far beyond Akwa Ibom State. Her impact is not just in the convictions or the headlines; it is in the lives she has touched, the justice she has fought for, and the unyielding example she sets on a daily basis.

This report is championed by Accountability Lab Nigeria and supported by the John D. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation and Luminate.