By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Anambra State House of Assembly has moved to amend the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2017 with intents to criminalise nonconsensual audio or visual recording of intimate or private acts.
The bill which scaled through First and Second Reading on Thursday plenary is being sponsored by the member representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency, Hon. Mimi Azikiwe.
According to Azikiwe, the Violence against Persons Prohibition (Amendment) Bill 2026, introduces a new Section 29 into the existing law to create a different offence for the non-consensual recording of intimate or private acts, and penalties for the distribution, threat of distribution, or exploitative retention of such recordings.
The lawmaker explained that the new amendment would address harmful practices that occur without physical contact, recognizing that covert recording of intimate or private acts constitutes a violation of bodily autonomy, privacy, and psychological integrity.
This according to her, has been a tool for intimidation, coercion, extortion, or emotional abuse, and the law currently provides no specific remedy at the point the violation occurs.
She observed that everybody has the right to privacy, hence their private moments should not be recorded and exposed to public domains without their express consent.
Section 2 of the Principal Law is hereby amended by inserting intimate or private act to include act of sexual nature, acts of personal hygiene, use of toilet or bathroom facilities, changing of clothing, medical or personal care or any activity ordinarily performed in private.
"A person commits an offence if he or she intentionally, knowingly or recklessly, and without the express of another person, records, captures, screen-records, photographs, films, listens to, or otherwise preserve an image, video, audio recording, or any visual or audiovisual representation of other person while the person is unclad or privately clad, engaged in sexual activity; engaged in an intimate or private act in respect of which the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, whether such act occurs during a physical encounter or by means of a live digital, electronic or virtual communication.
"A person who commits this offence shall be liable on convict to three years imprisonment or a fine of not less than #3,000,000; or both such imprisonment and fine."
Supporting the bill, Hon Ejike Okechukwu representing Anaocha 2 constituency, Aguata 2 counterpart, Tony Mobike said this crime has affected many victims in the society, as their supposedly intimate moments are recorded and dished out to the society without their express consent thereby denting their image and reputation.
For Hon Obi Nweke of Anambra East constituency, the law of defamation exists both in criminal or civil laws and the punishment above should apply.
On his part, the Majority Leader, Hon Ikenna Ofodeme observed that this law is linked to cyber crime and cyber bullying.
"This should equally apply to recording phone conversation or putting it on speak out without the person's consent as well as using AI to purport a victim committing crime or making gest of him on social media domain. This will serve as a prevention before it's commission."
The Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Somtochukwu Udeze who presided over plenary, put the bill to a voice vote and referred it to House Committee on Judiciary and Justice to report back to the House in the next adjourned date.