Lagos records over 4,000 rape cases in 2025, warns against quacks, drug abuse

The Lagos State Government has raised concerns over rising social vices, revealing that more than 4,000 rape cases were reported across the state in 2025, while illicit drug use among adolescents continues to increase.

The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this while flagging off the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week at the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Secretariat. She was represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat.

She urged residents to report cases of domestic and sexual violence through the state’s toll-free emergency line, 08000333333, assuring that the government remained committed to protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring offenders were prosecuted.

The First Lady also encouraged residents to embrace preventive healthcare, avoid unqualified healthcare providers and take advantage of the free medical services being offered across the state during the week-long programme, which runs from July 20 to 24.

According to her, the exercise is designed to improve access to essential healthcare services and promote positive health-seeking behaviour through interventions including Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, family planning, antenatal and postnatal care, routine immunisation, nutrition counselling, growth monitoring, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, and health education.

She warned pregnant women against patronising unqualified birth attendants, saying the activities of quacks continued to result in preventable complications and maternal deaths.

“Our pregnant women should stop seeking services from quacks. I call on the Traditional Medicine Board, law enforcement agencies and community leaders to strengthen monitoring efforts and bring these criminals to justice,” she said.

Highlighting achievements from the previous round of the programme, Sanwo-Olu said more than 4.19 million children received Vitamin A supplements, while 4.36 million children were dewormed. She added that over 17,500 pregnant women and nursing mothers accessed antenatal and postnatal services, while more than 216,900 women and men benefited from family planning services.

She expressed confidence that the current exercise would reach even more residents, noting that healthcare workers had been adequately trained for the campaign.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, described the MNCAH+N Week as one of Lagos State’s most impactful public health initiatives, noting that it originated in Lagos before being adopted nationwide by the National Council on Health in 2010.

She said the programme targets children under five years, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and adolescents, while preventive healthcare services would also be available for men.

Ogunyemi explained that beneficiaries would receive Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, nutrition screening, routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning services, micronutrient supplements, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, as well as counselling on handwashing, substance abuse and gender-based violence.

She noted that maternal and child mortality remained a major public health challenge despite progress recorded over the years and urged parents and caregivers who had defaulted on routine healthcare to take advantage of the free services.

The Special Adviser also acknowledged the support of development partners, including UNICEF, UNFPA, the Gates Foundation and Agrim Pharmaceuticals, for sustaining the initiative.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, urged residents to become ambassadors of healthy living by encouraging relatives, neighbours and colleagues to utilise government health facilities.

She also commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for approving the programme and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery.