Lagos Records 33,009 Domestic, Sexual Violence Cases, 1,171 Defilement In Five Years
By BENJAMIN OMOIKE, LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State Government says it has recorded 33,009 cases of domestic and sexual violence between September 2021 and July 2026, with domestic violence accounting for the largest share of reported cases.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, made this known on Monday during a media parley to commence the 2026 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Lagos. Pedro said the cases were received through physical walk-ins and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency’s (DSVA) Virtual Referral and Response Service, with the agency handling an average of more than 300 clients monthly. The Attorney-General, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, disclosed that domestic violence accounted for 13,515 cases, making it by far the most frequently reported category. He added that the agency also recorded 1,171 defilement cases, 797 cases of child abuse and physical assault, 420 rape cases, 428 sexual harassment cases and 100 cases of sexual assault by penetration. Other reports, according to him, included 323 threats to life, 79 attempted rape cases, 95 cases of technology-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence and 1,861 family-related disputes involving custody, neglect, abduction and child labour. Pedro noted that the data also highlighted the impact of violence on children who are not necessarily direct victims, further disclosing that 10,613 children were identified as having suffered emotional abuse after being exposed to domestic violence in their homes during the period. “These children may not have been direct targets of the violence, but exposure to violence can leave deep emotional scars,” he said. The Attorney-General said the finding reinforced the need for responses that address not only the immediate incident but also the psychological consequences for children exposed to violence.According to him, the agency recorded 4,013 cases between January and July 2026, following 7,721 cases in 2025 and 7,882 in 2024. He, therefore, cautioned against interpreting the decline in reported cases as proof that the actual prevalence of violence had fallen by the same proportion. “A reduction in reported cases does not automatically mean that Sexual and Gender Based Violence has reduced by exactly the same proportion across Lagos State,” he said, noting that reporting figures could be affected by awareness levels, survivors’ willingness to report, access to services and changes in the channels through which victims seek assistance. The commissioner disclosed that Lagos reported 8,692 domestic and sexual violence cases between August 2024 and July 2025, including 3,685 domestic violence cases, explaining that the last five-year data showed that women continued to constitute the majority of reported cases, accounting for 88 per cent, while men represented 12 per cent. Pedro said among adults, domestic violence accounted for 75.5 per cent of reported assaults, noting that failure to provide necessaries accounted for 9.1 per cent, while sexual harassment and rape each represented 2.4 per cent. “The data showed an even more pronounced pattern among children, where emotional abuse accounted 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,” he said. Pedro also said 30 per cent of women who reported abuse disclosed that they were pregnant when the violence occurred. He noted that figures showed that abuse cut across employment and economic categories, adding: “Among survivors, 47 per cent were employed, seven per cent self-employed, seven per cent students, 38 per cent unemployed and one per cent retired.”
