By Deborah Akpede, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Some stakeholders have recently called for collective action to address the menace of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the country.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, the stakeholders expressed their concerns about the alarming rate of SGBV cases.
The United Nations defines Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as any form of violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in three women in Nigeria experiences physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
WHO also states that SGBV affects people globally, with women and girls being particularly vulnerable due to cultural norms and gender inequalities that disadvantage them.
The 2024 Womanity Index, released by Invictus Africa—a civic organisation promoting human rights and gender equality—revealed that Lagos State, Rivers, and Ekiti recorded the highest cases of SGBV in Nigeria.
The Womanity Index is an annual report that ranks subnational governments in Africa on their gender equality performance. It’s produced by Invictus Africa, a Nigerian human rights and gender equality organisation.
A report by the DOHS Cares Foundation indicates that over 133 Nigerian women and girls were killed in incidents of SGBV between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024.
The data was sourced from the Foundation’s tracker dashboard, which monitors cases of femicide across the country.
Similarly, the Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP) reports that 30 per cent of Nigerian women and girls aged between 15 and 49 had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, with one in 20 women being victims of rape.
Relatedly, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force recorded 17,415 cases of SGBV in 2024.
He disclosed this during a webinar organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), and the Innocent Chukwuemeka Chukwuma Empowerment Foundation to commemorate the 59th posthumous birthday of human rights activist Innocent Chukwuemeka Chukwuma on Feb. 6.
WSCIJ is a Nigerian nonprofit established in 2005 to promote democracy and social justice using investigative journalism to expose corruption.
He noted that out of the reported cases, 15,692 were charged to court, while 409 convictions were secured.
In spite of the number of reported cases, he stressed that the majority of SGBV incidents remained unreported.
The FPRO highlighted that the low conviction rate was largely due to the attitudes of victims’ families, who often prioritised cultural values over legal action, as well as delays in the justice system.
He urged stakeholders to collaborate with the police in training officers responsible for handling gender-based and domestic violence cases.
For Mrs Kemi Ojo, a legal practitioner, SGBV was a deeply troubling issue that continued to thrive due to underreporting.
“It is rampant and has become the order of the day,” she said.
She identified fear, shame, guilt, and stigma as key barriers preventing survivours from reporting GBV.
According to her, factors such as unemployment, poverty, and economic hardship contribute to the prevalence of SGBV.
“SGBV has severe consequences on survivours including physical harm and psychological trauma while some lead to fatality,” she said.
She blamed low conviction rate to unwillingness of victim to testify in court.
“Some cases are struck out due to survivour’s refusal to testify, especially cases of sexual abuse. They are always intimidated by family members not to press charges or testify against the offender because of stigmatisation.
“Perpetrators must face punishment, regardless of their status. Survivours deserve safety, therapy, and justice.
“The Judiciary should not shy away from handing out maximum punishment to offenders when the occasion demands, to serve as deterrent to others, ” she said.
Ojo said that rising cases of SGBV in the country would be reduced if women were empowered economically.
According to her, some police personnel allegedly compromise cases brought before them and hinder justice for survivour.
“Some police initiate settlement outside the criminal justice system and some ask for gratification.
“Police personel must be committed to their job, they must be constantly trained on handling GBV cases to ensure survivours get justice, ” she said.
She encouraged victims to report incidents and seek help from organisations that provided support services.
According to her, addressing SGBV requires collective responsibility, education, and proactive measures.
“The government alone cannot do it; religious institutions, traditional and community leaders including the media also have roles to play by promoting values and attitudes that can eliminate the scourge and save lives, homes and the society, ” she said.
According to her, by addressing the root causes of SGBV and implementing practical solutions, Nigeria can work toward creating a safer and more equitable society for all.
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, (DSVA) Mrs Titilayo Vivour-Adeniyi, stressed the need for a holistic investigation into SGBV violence offences to foster justice for victims.
Vivour-Adeniyi said that there was need for continuous training and empowerment of law enforcement officers in ensuring that proper investigation was carried out on gender violence cases
“It is important for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the police prosecutors to be in a more symbiotic relationship because this will lead to successful prosecution in the future.
“The call to action is to ensure that justice is truly served. A robust investigative process must be at the forefront of our efforts to combat gender-based violence. This requires enhanced training and resources.
“Law enforcement investigative teams must be equipped with specialised training and resources necessary to handle these cases,” she said.
The DSVA boss appealed to the public to always break the culture of silence by reporting cases of all forms of abuse.
“SGBV thrives in silence, healing begins with sharing experience. It’s time to speak up to make a difference.
“At DSVA, we work tirelessly to break barriers, provide support, and hold perpetrators accountable.
“If you or someone you know need help, reach out to us by calling our toll-free line 08000-333-333 or via DM on all social media platforms, ‘ she said.
In a decisive move to reinforce the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to human rights, the Inspector General of Police( IG),Kayode Egbetokun, on Feb. 15, approved the expansion of SGBV desk offices to all police divisions nationwide.
The initiative aims to enhance efficiency, improve service delivery, and ensure easier access to justice for citizens.
He directed that SGBV cases which were previously limited to zonal and state commands, would now be established at the divisional stations, ensuring that cases received prompt, specialised, and professional attention.
The IG mandated the appointment of qualified officers as SGBV desk officers, adding that the officers would undergo specialised training to equip them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and expertise to handle SGBV cases effectively.
Appraising the IG’s initiative, a security expert, Mr Christopher Oji, commended his decision to expand the SGBV cases in all divisions.
“This is a welcome decision, proximity
will encourage survivours to easily walk down to the station to report.
“People learn lessons from other people’s experiences, if one hears that his or her neighbour is being apprehended for SGBV, he or she will be
“It will also enable police personnel to stay informed through community policing,” he said.
According to him, SGBV can be physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, or even economic.
He noted that while it affected both genders, men also suffered from it but were often too ashamed to report.
Oji, the former president of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, emphasised that SGBV should not be treated as a family matter but as a human rights issue.
“There have been many cases where families of survivours return to the police station or court to withdraw complaints or file motions to discontinue cases simply because the suspect is a husband or family member,” he said.
He urged parents and guardians to pursue justice regardless of who was involved, especially in cases of child sexual abuse.
“Although seeking justice in Nigeria is expensive, some parents prefer to accept monetary settlements from perpetrators rather than spend money to fight for justice.
“They will forgive a crime as heinous as defilement because of poverty and the perpetrators will go unpunished while the survivour will live to grow with the stigma and trauma, ” he said.
The expert said that there was need for police divisions to have a legal department that would counsel survivour or family with sensitive cases such as defilement and rape.
He urged government to intervene by having lawyers who would handle such cases ‘pro bono’.
“Some culprits connive with some unscrupulous police officers to either threaten the victim’s family or truncate the case; that is why the State and Federal Governmemt need to have lawyers that will handle such cases free of charge.
“Either the survivour or family who finds it difficult to feed cannot pursue a case, ” he said.
He appealed to the government, civil society organisations, and other agencies to sensitise the public about existing laws and called for continuous training and retraining of judicial and police officers to tackle the menace.
Oji urged the government to enforce stringent laws to eradicate SGBV from society.
Ultimately, it is hoped that all stakeholders will work together in synergy to effectively combat this pressing issue in our society(NAN)