Delta Police incorrectly cite law on indecent dressing penalties
FOUNDATION FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
On Saturday, the Delta State Police Command posted (archived here) an animated image of a lady in a skirt and a tank top. Attached to it was a title, ‘Delta State Violence Against All Persons Law’.
Superimposed on the right side of the image are the words ‘Section 16 of Delta State VAAP Law 2015’.
This image has texts written in Pidgin English which read, “As you nor like wear cloth wey dey cover your body well, and you prefer dey waka go work, school or anywhere with clothes wey dey show everywhere for your body, make you hear am – Delta State government nor dey smile for that kain dressing….
“VAAP law don ready to punish anybody wey nor dress well. Punishment: Community service or N50,000 fine.“
CLAIM: Indecent dressing to work/school attracts a N50,000 fine or community service.
VERIFICATION: To verify this claim, FIJ visited the law the police quoted in the image.
FIJ checked Section 16 of the Delta State Violence Against Persons (VAP) Law (2020) and found unrelated provisions.
[…] CONCLUSION: The claim that wearing some kinds of clothes could land Delta residents community service or a N50,000 fine is misleading as it fails to mention that one would need to expose their genitals to be found guilty.
VERDICT: Misleading.
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