Lagos seeks justice for 3,215 abused children in 2024

Since 3,215 children were abused in various ways between January and December 2024, according to data from the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, the Lagos State Government has stepped up its efforts to combat child abuse and violence.

According to the data, which DOROTV exclusively received on Wednesday, children made up more than one-third of the survivors of the 9,279 domestic violence cases that were reported during the reviewed year. Adult male and female victims made up the remaining 6,064.


The results indicated that emotional abuse, sexual assault, and other types of domestic violence were included in the nature of abuse.

Only 250 cases involved strangers, whereas the majority of the perpetrators—roughly 2,708 in total—were family members or someone the victims knew, according to the DSVA.

Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary of the DSVA, told DOROTV on Wednesday that the government has taken a preventive and technology-driven strategy to reducing sexual and gender-based violence, particularly against minors.

"We are working very closely with the Ministry of Education and the Office of Education Quality Assurance in terms of education," she stated.

For our Kings and Queens Club, we have created a curriculum that teaches kids about gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive rights, and more.

We talk to them about gender equality because we are confident that if we do it correctly from that early age, these kids will grow up understanding that gender equality is something to be welcomed rather than dreaded.

This disparity is lessened in adulthood when a girl understands her function and a boy understands his.

Vivour-Adeniyi added that the full implementation of the Child Protection Policy, which was established by an Executive Order in December 2016, was one of the agency's primary responsibilities.

"We take a preventative as well as therapeutic approach. We make sure that child-centered organizations, particularly schools, have well-defined protocols to stop GBV and deal with it when it happens," she stated.

The family continues to be the cornerstone of a child's protection, she added, underscoring the significance of parental involvement.

Although we had attended several Parents' Association conferences, we made the decision to use technology last year. We launched a free online course for parents through our Safeguarding and Child Protection Online Learning Platform.

That training has been taken by more than 13,000 parents. Building their ability to educate their kids about child rights, abuse, body autonomy, grooming, and what to do in the event of abuse is the goal, she said.

Through the SAC project for primary schools and the Kings and Queens Club for secondary school students, she continued, children are also being directly involved.

Ololade Ajayi, the founder of the DOHS Cares Foundation and curator of femicide reports, commented on the alarming statistics and voiced concern about the true scope of the problem.

The number is greater than that, to start. These are only the cases that have been reported. The issue is how the legislation is being applied.

She asked, "Will the police let the law do its job—by stepping in, looking into it, making arrests, and arraigning these criminals?"

Half of the reported cases would have been thwarted by law enforcement before they reached the courtroom, she continued. Due to a lack of means or support networks, half of those who do make it to court will be dissatisfied with the difficult process of pursuing justice.

In order to guarantee that victims receive prompt and efficient assistance, Ajayi demanded immediate changes to the legal system as well as more robust support networks.