Lagos records 8,692 cases of sexual abuse in one year

The Lagos State Government on Friday said a total of 8,692 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and abuse were reported in the state in the last one year, assuring that necessary steps were being taken through the State Ministry of Justice to restore hope and confidence in the victims to help them get rid of the trauma.

The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), made this known during a media parley, which was held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Center, Alausa, Ikeja, to mark the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, held every September.

Pedro also revealed that a significant total of 3,090 children were identified as having suffered emotional abuse due to exposure to domestic violence at home within the same period,.

He also stated that the effects of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence cannot be overemphasized, as 90 percent of the survivors disclosed that they had experienced low self-esteem, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), extreme fear and anxiety, while about 5 percent suffered from depression and had to seek medical help.

The Attorney-General, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of his ministry, Mr. Ahmid Oyenuga, said every stakeholder, including the private sector, would, for the first time, be involved in the awareness program, themed: “SGBV?… IT CONCERNS US ALL,” noting that SGBV concerned everyone, while the topic was chosen because the menace “is not a respecter of age.”

“We are also set to launch the guidelines on sexual harassment prevention in the workplace, thereby fostering safer and more respectful work environments.

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“Children will not be left out, as the Safeguarding and Child Protection Week will witness the gathering of over 1,200 students, with debates on the topic, ‘It’s okay to tell,'” he said.

Shedding more light on the activities of the agency involved in sexual abuse, Pedro noted that between August 2024 and July 2025, the DSVA received a total of 8,692 cases through both physical walk-ins and the Virtual Referral and Response Service (VRRS), saying that the agency, on average, attended to over 400 clients monthly.

According to him, 3,685 cases of domestic violence were reported, making it the most prevalent category, as he further revealed that 243 cases of defilement and 244 cases of child abuse/physical assault were handled, with 99 cases of rape, 48 cases of sexual harassment, and 25 cases of sexual assault by penetration recorded.

“243 cases of defilement and 244 cases of child abuse/physical assault were handled. 99 cases of rape, 48 cases of sexual harassment, and 25 cases of sexual assault by penetration were recorded,” Pedro said.

Speaking further, the commissioner said the agency had conducted a total of 402 preliminary investigations and rescue missions of survivors of domestic and sexual Violence in Lagos State.

Besides, he disclosed that a total of 57 safeguarding and child protection concerns were received in the period under review by the Lagos State Taskforce on Safeguarding and Child Protection, which comprises the Office of Education Quality Assurance and the Department of School Social Work of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, among others.

“One of the agency’s main responsibilities is to provide immediate and quick responses to SGBV cases by providing support, counseling, empowerment, shelter, mediation, and other referrals and services to survivors,” he said.

The Attorney-General, while sadly noting that the effects of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence cannot be overemphasized, disclosed that “out of the 20 Local Government Areas in Lagos State, the top 5 LGAs with the highest reporting for adults include Alimosho, Eti-Osa, Ikorodu, Kosofe, and Oshodi-Isolo, whilst for cases involving children, we have recorded high reporting from Ikorodu, Kosofe, Badagry, Alimosho, and Oshodi-Isolo, respectively.”

“Further analysis of cases under the year in review still revealed that at least 60% of survivors that reported to the agency experienced domestic violence in the first five years of their marriage.

“However, 50% of the reports were made after 10 years of the subsistence of the marriage. Various factors which contributed to the delay in reporting include financial dependence on the abuser, wanting to remain in the abusive relationship because of their children, as well as other socio-cultural factors.

“It was revealed that 33% of survivors are self-employed, 44% are employed, 11% are students, 11% are unemployed, and 1% are retired.

“For the alleged perpetrators, it was revealed that 45% are employed, 38% are self-employed, 8% are unemployed, 3% are students, whilst 6% are unknown. These findings debunk the myth that most perpetrators are unemployed.

“With growing awareness of mental wellness and the need to continue to ensure the psycho-social wellbeing of couples for a better society, the Clinical Psychology Department provided psychotherapy and psycho-social support for 1,489 survivors, including children, and 249 abusers, respectively,” he revealed.

Pedro, however, revealed that a total of 158 user interactions had been recorded since the activation of the DSVA AI chat box, INU, in February 2025, with 61 interactions requesting “to chat with a live agent,” subsequently directed to the Virtual Case Manager for further assistance.

He further revealed that the DSVA continued to expand its preventive strategies through awareness and education, saying that from August 2024 to July 2025, it directly and indirectly engaged 6.3 million residents across the 20 LGAs in the state.

“The agency continues to expand its preventive strategies through awareness and education. From August 2024 to July 2025, DSVA directly and indirectly engaged 6.3 million residents across the 20 LGAs,” Pedro said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE