Report No. 226

Nigeria:

Acid violence first reported in the city of Port Harcourt in the early 1990's.1The reported cases of acid attacks on women between 2001 and 2004 was 21 and another 14 cases between 1990 and 2000. 65 Although acid violence is a gender based crime in Nigeria, there have also been reported cases of attacks against men more recently. Between 2003 and 2004 reported 7 attacks that were committed against men by women.1

There is no law currently in Nigeria that specifically deals with acid attacks.Offenders are prosecuted under the penal code for battery or for causing grievous harm 2. The relevant sections of the Penal Code in Nigeria reads as under-