NIGERIAN

This study was a critical study of how domestic violence is handled in Nigeria through the criminal justice system, evaluation of the legal institutions, institutional processes, and cultural/socio-cultural factors that guide the handling and adjudication of domestic violence laws in Nigeria. The results suggest that despite significant legislative progress, especially with the Violence Against Persons ( Prohibition ) Act (VAPP) 2015, significant implementation issues are present because the federal system has led to unequal domestication across states, which generates a patchwork of protection and legal pluralism that leads to discrepancies in jurisdictions. The study shows much discrepancy between the international human rights commitments of Nigeria and their implementation at the local level, particularly on matters of marital rape, emotional and harmful traditional practices. The paper also indicates institutional flaws such as the attitude of police that sees domestic violence as family affairs, lack of special domestic violence courts, and lack of victim support services, which are centralized in urban centres. Patriarchal norms, religious pressures of family conservation, bride price, and gender stereotypes of roles were considered as deep-rooted socio-cultural forces that strengthened silence, victim-blaming and economic dependence. Comparing the advantages of the United States, the study determines the advantages in specialized domestic violence courts, mandatory arrest policies, comprehensive victim support systems, batterer intervention, and coordinated responses of the community through VAWA. The report suggests the harmonization of the VAPP Act across the nation, the creation of special courts, training of the justice actors in a broad way, increasing support systems to victims, and cultural transformation programs. It concludes that though Nigeria has developed a good legal framework, there is still a huge discrepancy between the law and the practice, which requires more institution capacity, proper resource allocation, and social transformation to make a significant difference in protection of all victims.