By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS — The Lagos State Government has recorded 33,009 cases of domestic and sexual violence between September 2021 and July 2026, with domestic violence accounting for the highest proportion of reported cases.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, disclosed this on Monday at a media parley organised to herald the 2026 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Lagos.
Pedro, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Titilola-Vivour Adeniyi, said the figure comprised cases reported through physical walk-ins and the Virtual Referral and Response Service (VRRS), averaging more than 300 clients monthly.
According to him, the cases included 13,515 incidents of domestic violence, 1,171 cases of defilement, 797 cases of child abuse and physical assault, 420 rape cases, 428 cases of sexual harassment and 100 cases of sexual assault by penetration.
He added that the agency recorded 95 cases of technology-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence, 323 threats to life, 79 attempted rape cases and 1,861 family-related disputes involving custody, neglect, abduction and child labour.
Pedro described as particularly disturbing the 10,613 children identified as having suffered emotional abuse as a result of exposure to domestic violence in their homes.
He said the figure underscored the need for government and stakeholders to look beyond immediate victims of violence and address the psychological and emotional consequences for children who witness violence at home.
“Behind every number is a person, a family and, often, a story of trauma, courage and the search for justice,” Pedro said, stressing that the government’s responsibility was to ensure that every victim was heard, every survivor supported and every perpetrator brought within the ambit of the law.
Reported cases decline by 23.6%
Giving a year-by-year breakdown, Pedro said DSVA recorded 1,075 cases between September and December 2021, 5,929 in 2022, 6,389 in 2023, 7,882 in 2024, 7,721 in 2025 and 4,013 cases as of July 2026.
He said comparative data showed a 23.6 per cent decline in reported cases, with male reporters decreasing by 47.8 per cent and female reporters by 28 per cent.
Women, however, continued to constitute the overwhelming majority of reporters, accounting for 88 per cent, while men represented 12 per cent.
Pedro cautioned against interpreting the decline in reported cases as an automatic indication that the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence had fallen by the same proportion.
He explained that reporting figures could be influenced by awareness levels, reporting behaviour, access to services and changes in the channels through which survivors sought assistance.
“Our ambition is not simply to see fewer cases appearing on our database. Our ambition is to see fewer people experiencing violence in the first place,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that the state had continued to strengthen its legal, medical and psychosocial responses to reported cases.
He said 175 survivors received free legal support through DSVA’s in-house lawyers, the Office of the Public Defender, private law firms and the Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership.
Pedro added that more than 711 cases were charged to court, while the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the Ministry of Justice secured more than 160 convictions within the period under review.
According to him, the state also financially supported the investigation and prosecution of 464 SGBV-related cases and obtained 20 restraining orders under the Lagos State Protection Against Domestic Violence Law 2015.
On medical and psychosocial interventions, Pedro said sexual assault survivors were provided access to treatment through General Hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres at no cost through the SGBV Intervention Fund of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), as well as referral centres.
He disclosed that 40 survivors requiring immediate protection were accommodated at Eko Haven and other safe shelters, while the agency’s Clinical Psychology Department provided psychotherapy and counselling to 953 survivors, 267 alleged perpetrators and 304 children.
The DSVA also carried out 501 rescue operations and extended services to 46 persons with disabilities experiencing various forms of gender-based violence, he said.
Domestic violence accounts for 75.5% of adult reports
Pedro said domestic violence accounted for 75.5 per cent of reported assaults among adults, followed by failure to provide necessaries at 9.1 per cent.
Sexual harassment and rape each accounted for 2.4 per cent, while cyber harassment or the release of pornographic material constituted 0.7 per cent.
Among children, emotional abuse was the dominant category, accounting for 82.3 per cent of reported cases, followed by defilement at 8.2 per cent and physical assault or child abuse at 6.6 per cent.
Pedro also noted a link between domestic violence and mental health concerns, saying 10 per cent of survivors reported that their alleged abusers had diagnosed mental health conditions.
He said 90 per cent of survivors reported psychological consequences, including low self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, extreme fear and anxiety, while about five per cent experienced depression requiring medical attention.
According to him, DSVA’s analysis showed that at least 35 per cent of survivors who reported domestic violence experienced the abuse within the first five years of marriage, while seven per cent made reports after more than 10 years of marriage.
He attributed delayed reporting in some cases to financial dependence, concerns about children and socio-cultural pressures.
Pedro disclosed that 30 per cent of women who reported abuse said they were pregnant when the abuse occurred.
He said the data also showed that domestic and sexual violence cut across social and economic classes and should not be attributed solely to unemployment or economic hardship.
The five local government areas with the highest adult reports were Alimosho, Ikorodu, Eti-Osa, Kosofe and Ikeja, while Alimosho, Eti-Osa, Ikorodu, Kosofe and Ifako-Ijaiye recorded the highest reports involving children.
Lagos intensifies prevention campaigns
Beyond responding to reported incidents, Pedro said Lagos had intensified preventive measures through community engagement, school programmes, traditional institutions, workplaces and digital platforms.
He disclosed that statewide sensitisation campaigns reached an estimated 1.96 million residents across the 20 local government areas through door-to-door campaigns, market sensitisation, Community Development Association engagements and school outreach.
More than 700 safeguarding and child protection officers across the six education districts were trained, while more than 1,000 primary and secondary school students participated in the Safeguarding the Rights of a Child Workshop.
The Kings & Queens Club initiative has also grown to 7,700 members, while the Purple Lagos Campus Activation reached more than 5,000 students across 10 tertiary institutions.
Pedro said more than 60,000 educators, parents and caregivers had been equipped through the Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Online Course.
The state also established DSVA sub-offices in Kosofe and Ikorodu to bring services closer to residents and trained marriage registrars, religious marriage counsellors and customary court presidents across the state’s 57 LGAs and LCDAs.
He added that the state had launched a policy framework on Technology-Facilitated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and inaugurated a technical working group to drive its implementation.
Lagos begins September awareness activities
Pedro announced that Lagos would mark the 2026 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month throughout September under the theme, “SGBV — It Ends With Us.”
The activities will begin on September 1 with the Turn Lagos Purple campaign along Ikorodu Road and in Lekki Phase 1, followed by Turn Alausa Purple on September 2.
Other activities include specialised training for medical social workers and police officers, a mental wellness programme for frontline personnel, disability-inclusive case management training, an advocacy walk against SGBV and training for newly recruited health workers.
The programme will also feature Survivors’ Day on September 15, private-sector engagement on workplace sexual harassment prevention on September 16, a Market Fiesta at Ile-Epo Market on September 17 and a Safeguarding and Child Protection Week from September 21 to 25.
The state will host a National Convening of Gender-Based Violence State Coordinators on September 24 and 25, alongside the launch of the Lagos State GBV Prevention Policy.
The month-long activities will culminate in a Governor’s Commendation and Awards Night on September 29, where individuals, institutions and partners who have made outstanding contributions to combating domestic and sexual violence will be recognised.
Pedro said Lagos would continue to provide technical support to more than 18 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, to strengthen structures for preventing and responding to domestic and sexual violence.
He urged Lagos residents to take collective responsibility for ending SGBV and encouraged victims and members of the public to report cases through the state’s toll-free line, 08000-333-333.
“To the survivor, we say: you deserve safety, dignity and justice. To the family member, friend, neighbour or colleague who notices something is wrong: do not look away,” he said.
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