Lagos Records 8,692 Domestic Violence Cases In One Year

The Lagos State government on Friday revealed that the state recorded 8,692 cases of domestic and sexual violence between August 2024 and July 2025.

The state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), who made the statistics public at a media parley heralding the Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month held every September, said domestic violence accounted for 3,685 cases, making it the most common issue during the period.

Pedro, who was represented by the state solicitor-general and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mr Hameed Oyenuga, also disclosed that the youngest survivor in the year under review was 18 months old, while the oldest was 79 years old, which he said underscored the fact that abuse cuts across age groups.

He, however, maintained the state government’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

The AG further stated that Lagos state secured over 140 convictions and issued six restraining orders in the same timeframe.

He detailed the breakdown of the statistics, which include 243 cases of defilement, 244 cases of child abuse and physical assault, 99 cases of rape, 48 cases of sexual harassment, and 25 cases of sexual assault by penetration.

In addition, there were 726 family-related disputes, 41 cases of cyber harassment, and 32 cases of threats to life.

Pedro pointed out that 3,090 children exposed to domestic violence received counselling, with ages ranging from 18 months to 79 years, underscoring that SGBV affects individuals of all ages.

He mentioned that 146 survivors received free legal representation, all survivors of sexual assault accessed free medical care, and 30 individuals were accommodated in government shelters.

The AG said that the state provided rehabilitation services for victims as 1,487 survivors and 249 perpetrators underwent therapy while 13 persons with disabilities received specialised support.

In terms of local government reporting, Pedro identified Alimosho, Eti-Osa, Ikorodu, Kosofe, and Oshodi-Isolo as having the highest number of adult-related cases while the top five councils for child-related cases were Ikorodu, Kosofe, Badagry, Alimosho and Oshodi-Isolo.

On awareness efforts, he recalled that since 2015, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has dedicated September to raising awareness about SGBV. The theme for this year is “SGBV… It Concerns Us All.”

Outlining the month-long activities, Pedro announced that public servants would wear purple ribbons starting September 1 as a symbol of solidarity, followed by an advocacy walk against SGBV.