THE LAW AND PRACTICE OF PROTECTION OF IDENTITIES OF VICTIMS OF SEXUAL OFFENCES IN NIGERIA: LESSONS FROM FRN V. PROF. NDIFON

Abstract

Sexual offence prosecutions raise profound questions about the balance between the principle of open justice and the imperative of protecting victims from stigma, retraumatisation, and social harm. While Nigerian law recognises the necessity of safeguarding the identities of victims of sexual offences, gaps persist between judicial principle and practical execution. This article examined the legal framework governing victim anonymity in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the decision of the Federal High Court in Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Prof. Cyril Ndifon. Employing a doctrinal research methodology, the article analysed the legal foundations for protecting the identities of victims of sexual offences in Nigeria. It evaluated the judicial reasoning adopted in FRN v. Ndifon and assessed whether the anonymity measures applied in that case achieved their protective purpose. The article critically interrogated the shortcomings in the implementation of anonymity in the case and further demonstrated that partial disclosure of identifying information, even where a victim’s name is formally concealed, undermines the objectives of victim protection. It found that the Ndifon judgment, though progressive in principle, reveals gaps in judicial practice that threaten victim-centred justice. The article concluded that strengthening anonymity protection in sexual offences proceedings is a contemporary legal issue, requiring legislative reforms, clearer judicial guidelines and monitoring mechanisms, and heightened institutional responsibility to align Nigeria’s framework with global victim-centred justice principles.