“These children may not have been direct targets of the violence, but exposure to violence can leave deep emotional scars,” the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Lawal Pedro said.
At least 10,613 children in Lagos State suffered emotional abuse after witnessing domestic violence in their homes over the past five years, the state government has said.
Mr Pedro, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated that the children were not necessarily the direct targets of the violence but were affected by what they witnessed at home.
“These children may not have been direct targets of the violence, but exposure to violence can leave deep emotional scars,” he said.
He stressed that the figures underscored the need to consider the wider impact of domestic violence, particularly on children who witness abuse between family members.
Data presented by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency showed that 33,009 cases of domestic and sexual violence were reported between September 2021 and July 2026.
Domestic violence accounted for the largest number, with 13,515 cases.
The agency also recorded 1,171 cases of defilement, 797 cases of child abuse and physical assault, 420 rape cases, 428 cases of sexual harassment and 100 cases of sexual assault by penetration.
Other reports included 323 threats to life, 79 attempted rape cases and 95 cases of technology-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence involving adults and minors.
The agency further recorded 1,861 family-related disputes involving custody, neglect, abduction and child labour.
Reported cases rose from 1,075 between September and December 2021 to 5,929 in 2022, 6,389 in 2023 and 7,882 in 2024.
The figure fell to 7,721 in 2025 and stood at 4,013 as of July 2026.
Mr Pedro cautioned that the decline in reported cases should not automatically be interpreted as a reduction in the actual prevalence of violence.
He explained that factors such as survivors’ willingness to report, public awareness, access to support services and reporting channels could affect the figures.
“A reduction in reported cases does not automatically mean that Sexual and Gender Based Violence has reduced by exactly the same proportion across Lagos State,” he said.
The commissioner also rejected the idea that domestic and sexual violence was primarily a consequence of unemployment or financial hardship.
According to the data, 38 per cent of survivors were unemployed, 47 per cent were employed and seven per cent were self-employed.
Among alleged perpetrators, 31 per cent were employed, 45 per cent self-employed and 12 per cent unemployed.
“This proves that Domestic and Sexual Violence cannot be reduced to unemployment or economic hardship. Violence cuts across social and economic categories,” Mr Pedro stressed.
Domestic violence accounted for 75.5 per cent of reported assaults involving adults.
For children, emotional abuse made up 82.3 per cent of reported cases, followed by defilement at 8.2 per cent and physical assault and child abuse at 6.6 per cent.
The psychological consequences were also substantial. Mr Pedro said 90 per cent of survivors reported problems including low self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, extreme fear and anxiety.
About five per cent experienced depression that required medical attention.
He added that 30 per cent of women who reported abuse were pregnant when the violence occurred, while 35 per cent of domestic violence survivors said the abuse happened within the first five years of their marriages.
Financial dependence, concerns about children and socio-cultural pressures were among the reasons survivors delayed reporting, he said.
Legal and psychosocial support
The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency provides survivors with access to legal, medical and psychosocial services, as well as referrals, investigations, prosecutions and emergency shelter.
Mr Pedro said 175 survivors received free legal assistance through the agency’s lawyers, the Bureau of the Public Defender, private law firms and the Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership.
Another 40 survivors were accommodated at Eko Haven and other safe shelters.
The agency’s Clinical Psychology Department provided psychotherapy and counselling to 953 survivors, 267 perpetrators and 304 children.
It also carried out 501 rescue operations and assisted 46 persons with disabilities who experienced gender-based violence.
