Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that it provided various forms of support to 33,009 survivors of domestic and sexual violence between September 2021 and July 2026, while also recording a 23.6 per cent decline in reported cases over the same period. The disclosure was made on Monday at a media parley organised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) to mark the beginning of the 2026 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, an annual campaign aimed at raising public consciousness about the scourge of gender-based violence and the support systems available to victims.
Speaking at the event, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the 33,009 cases were reported through physical walk-ins and the agency's Virtual Referral and Response Service. He stressed that the figures represented more than mere statistics, noting that behind every reported case was an individual, a family, and often a story of trauma, courage, and the search for justice. Pedro emphasized 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.
Domestic violence accounted for the highest number of reported cases, with 13,515 incidents recorded during the five-year period. Other cases included 1,171 defilement cases, 797 child abuse and physical assault cases, 420 rape cases, 428 sexual harassment cases, and 100 cases of sexual assault by penetration. The agency also 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. Perhaps most disturbingly, the state identified 10,613 children who suffered emotional abuse as a result of exposure to domestic violence in their homes, a figure that Pedro described as underscoring the need to address the psychological and emotional consequences for children who witness violence.
Women accounted for 88 per cent of reported cases, while men made up 12 per cent. A year-by-year breakdown showed that 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. While comparative data showed a 23.6 per cent decline in reported cases, Pedro cautioned against interpreting this as proof that the actual prevalence of violence had fallen by the same margin. He explained that reporting figures could be influenced by public awareness, access to support services, and survivors' willingness and ability to report incidents. "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.
Beyond receiving complaints, DSVA provided direct support to survivors and others affected by violence. Free legal support was provided to 175 survivors through the agency's in-house lawyers, the Office of the Public Defender, private law firms, and the Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership. Forty people requiring immediate protection were accommodated at Eko Haven and other safe shelters. Through its Clinical Psychology Department, the agency provided psychotherapy and counselling to 953 survivors, 267 perpetrators, and 304 children. It also conducted 501 rescue operations to protect people in dangerous environments and provided support to 46 persons with disabilities experiencing gender-based violence.
On the justice front, the state obtained 20 restraining orders under the Lagos State Protection Against Domestic Violence Law 2015. The agency financially supported the investigation and prosecution of 464 SGBV-related cases, while more than 711 cases were charged to court. The Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the Ministry of Justice secured over 160 convictions during the period under review.
The state also reported that 35 per cent of survivors who reported domestic violence experienced the abuse within the first five years of marriage. Pedro stressed that domestic and sexual violence cut across social and economic classes, making it a challenge that required a comprehensive, multi-sectoral response.
To prevent violence before it occurs, the state said its sensitisation campaigns had reached an estimated 1,964,559 residents across the 20 Local Government Areas. The interventions included school outreach programmes, community and market engagements, the Kings & Queens Club initiative, Purple Lagos Campus Activation, engagement with traditional rulers, and the establishment of community dialogue structures. More than 60,000 educators, parents, and caregivers were trained through the Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Online Course. The state also expanded access to services through the establishment of DSVA sub-offices in Kosofe and Ikorodu, capacity building for frontline professionals, the Lagos State Religious Premarital Counselling Online Course, reintroduction of the USSD short code *6820#, and the ASK INU WhatsApp chatbot.
The 2026 awareness month, which runs through September under the theme "SGBV – It Ends With Us," will feature activities including the Turn Lagos Purple initiative, training for police and healthcare workers, an advocacy walk, Survivors' Day, workplace sexual harassment engagement, Market Fiesta, and Safeguarding and Child Protection Week. The programme will end with a Governor's Commendation and Awards Night on September 29.
Vivour-Adeniyi urged Lagos residents to take responsibility for preventing abuse, speaking up when they witness violence, and supporting survivors. She encouraged residents to report cases through the DSVA toll-free line 0800-0333-333, stressing that creating a violence-free society required the collective action of government, families, communities, and institutions. As Pedro put it, "To the survivor, we say: you deserve safety, dignity, and justice".
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