The Lagos State Government has recorded 33,009 cases of domestic and sexual violence between September 2021 and July 2026, with domestic violence accounting for the highest number of reports during the period.
The cases were received by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) through physical walk-ins and its Virtual Referral and Response Service (VRRS), with an average of more than 300 clients accessing its services each month.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, disclosed the figures on Monday at a media parley to commemorate the 2026 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Lagos.
According to him, the figures highlight the scale of domestic and sexual violence in the state and the need to strengthen prevention, early intervention, protection, access to justice, rehabilitation and support for survivors.
Of the cases recorded, 13,515 involved domestic violence, while 1,171 were cases of defilement, 797 involved child abuse and physical assault, 420 were rape cases, 428 involved sexual harassment and 100 were sexual assault by penetration.
Other cases included 95 incidents of technology-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence involving minors and adults, 323 threats to life, 79 attempted rape cases and 1,861 family-related disputes involving issues such as custody, neglect, abduction and child labour.
However, Pedro said one of the most concerning findings was the number of children affected by domestic violence in their homes.
He said 10,613 children were identified as having suffered emotional abuse as a result of exposure to domestic violence, stressing that children did not have to be direct victims to suffer lasting psychological effects.
The Attorney General, who was represented by Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the state’s response must therefore extend beyond addressing immediate incidents to providing psychological support for children and other survivors.
He noted that domestic and emotional violence remained the most prevalent forms of violence recorded by the agency during the period under review.
The number of cases recorded annually rose from 1,075 between September and December 2021 to 5,929 in 2022, 6,389 in 2023, 7,882 in 2024 and 7,721 in 2025. A total of 4,013 cases had been recorded as of July 2026.
Pedro, however, cautioned against interpreting changes in reported cases as a direct indication that the actual incidence of sexual and gender-based violence had increased or declined by the same proportion.
He explained that reporting figures could be influenced by factors including public awareness, survivors’ willingness to report, access to support services and changes in the channels through which cases were reported.
He said the government would continue to analyse the data, identify emerging trends and strengthen prevention, community engagement and behavioural-change programmes.
“The most successful SGBV case is ultimately the one that never happens,” Pedro said.
Pedro said receiving a report was only the beginning of the state’s intervention, noting that survivors were provided with legal, medical and psychosocial support, shelter and other forms of assistance based on their needs.
The commissioner also reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to ensuring that victims are heard, survivors are supported and perpetrators are brought within the ambit of the law.