Despite being underreported due to stigma, societal norms, and systemic failures, femicide (killing of female) has become alarming nationwide. The incidents are not isolated. They have become part of a broader pattern fueled by gender inequality, socio-cultural barriers, and a flawed criminal justice system. Assistant News Editor/Head Security Desk, PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU reports.
Background
When Yetunde Lawal left the venue of a naming ceremony she was attending on February 10, at the instance of her friend, Abdulrahman Moh’d Bello, she had no inclination it was a journey of no return. Yetunde, a final-year student at the Kwara State College of Education in Ilorin, was eating, but she suddenly dropped her food and left hastily after a call from Abdulrahman, the friend she met and chatted with on Facebook. That was the last that was heard of her. Detectives later found parts of her dismembered body inside a bowl at Abdulrahman’s residence at Offa Garage. The other parts had been trashed at a dumpsite in Ilorin. Her remains were recovered after her call log was tracked following a missing person report filed by her parents.
Like Yetunde, Salome Adaidu, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was beheaded by her boyfriend, Timileyin Ajayi, at Agwan Sarki Orozo in Nasarawa State. The suspect was apprehended by members of a nearby church who saw him moving around suspiciously to drop a bag in the river. He confessed to have killed and beheaded his lover of almost a year.
Last month, the husband of Chioma Nwana doused her with petrol and set her ablaze at their Abagana, Anambra State residence. She wailed: “Nnem o! Ije di ebuemu o!” meaning “My mother, marriage has killed me”, as she writhed in pain. Chioma, a mother of six, suffered first degree burns. She died in the hospital she was rushed to that night. Her husband was detained after he turned himself in to the police.
These are few of the hundreds of femicide cases recorded across the country since 2020. From the deserts and mountainous hamlets up north to the mangroves and riverine communities down south, women and girls remain vulnerable victims of senseless killings. Whether at home, worship and workplaces, or even in full public glare, chilling details of women raped and/or killed by their partners, relatives, estranged lovers, colleagues and even total strangers are awash in the media. They are harsh reminders of the dangerous reality women face – platonic friendship, rejection of love advances, job seeking or even hanging out with friends could mean their unexpected and gruesome end.
Statistics
Globally, the statistics paint a grim picture, with over 89,000 women killed in 2022, the highest number recorded in 20 years. Also in 2023, a joint report by the United Nations (UN) Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), revealed that 85,000 women and girls were killed, with 60 per cent of the atrocities committed by intimate partners or relatives.
The report added that while overall homicide numbers started to decline globally after a peak in 2021, that of femicide was not decreasing.
A breakdown of the statistics indicates that at least one female is killed every 10 minutes, or 140 women and girls lose their lives to intentional murder daily. According to the report, Africa recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide in 2023, followed by the Americas and Oceania.
In Nigeria, 401 women reportedly died from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in 2022 alone. The government acknowledged over 27,000 recorded cases of SGBV in the past three years.
Data obtained from the DOHS Femicide Dashboard, a live tracker on cases and insights showed that there have been 135 incidents of femicide resulting to 149 deaths in 2024. From the data, majority of the women (26.7%) were strangled to death, the method of killing was not specified in 23.7% cases, 11.9% were beaten to death, 11.1% died from stabbing, 4.4% were poisoned and 3% were shot dead. It also showed that most of the victims (20%) were killed by their boyfriends; those responsible for 17% of the cases were unspecified; 13.3% were killed by acquaintances; 8.9% were murdered by their husbands; 7.4% by intimate partners; 7.4% of the perpetrators were the sons of the victims, 4.4% were neighbours and 3% of the culprits were unknown assailants.
Other instances
Like scenes from a horror movie, a grim tableau of decomposing bodies, dismembered human body parts, and emaciated survivors, many of whom were women, was revealed in March 2014 following the uncovering of a human slaughterhouse inside the Soka Forest in Ibadan, Oyo State. The victims were mostly kidnapped individuals, especially women who were tortured, trafficked and in some cases murdered. Despite the magnitude of the discovery, concrete arrests and prosecutions were limited, leaving many questions unanswered.
Another heartrending femicide was the brutal rape and murder of a 22-year-old University of Benin microbiology student, Uwaila Omozuwa, inside a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish in June 2020.
Omozuwa, who was a member of the choir, saw the church as a safe place to study following the lockdown occasioned by the Corona virus pandemic. But she was found lifeless, lying half-naked in a pool of her own blood after being attacked by a murderous gang.
The news of the killing of Iniubong Umoren, a young applicant lured with a fake job offer to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, also went viral, causing disquiet nationwide. Her remains were buried in shallow graves, with some of her body parts missing.
The case of Oluwabamise Ayanwole, 22, who was killed inside a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle which she boarded in Lagos Island was awash in the media. The driver, Andrew Ominikoron, is standing trial for her death. Her mutilated body was reportedly thrown out of the moving bus.
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Last December 24, one Charity, was allegedly beaten to death by her husband for roasting instead of cooking a tuber of yam. On October 4, last year, a six-month pregnant woman was stabbed multiple times, in Ikorodu, Lagos, for alleged infidelity. The assailant then set the house on fire.
On September 11, a 20-year-old undergraduate, Paul Jeremiah, was arrested by the Kogi State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping and killing a Federal University of Lokoja (FUL) fresher, he met and befriended within a week.
Jeremiah, who confessed to collecting N400,000 ransom from the teenager’s parents, proceeded to strangle her, severed her eyes, tongue, lungs, intestine, and some part of her buttocks as demanded by his Ibadan, Oyo State based witch doctor for ritual purposes.
That same September, Christiana Idowu, a Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, undergraduate was kidnapped in Lagos and subsequently murdered by a childhood friend, who removed some of her body parts and allegedly buried the rest at his father’s compound in Ikorodu. The suspect, who is remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Custodial facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), was alleged to have previously killed other women in similar fashion whose decapitated and decomposing bodies were allegedly dug out at the same residence following his arrest by troops of 174 Battalion, Ikorodu.
In Kano State, Sa’adatu Ibrahim was killed in cold blood by her lover of one week, last July for refusing his marriage proposal on the ground that their relationship was still new.
One Habibat was beaten to death by her husband in Lagos over allegations of infidelity.
Similarly, in March 2024, a tragic incident unfolded in Ondo when a man stabbed his wife to death following an argument over the woman’s occasional visit to her ex-husband’s house to see her child. He attacked the woman with a pair of scissors, stabbing her on the neck and stomach, and set her body ablaze.
On April 27, one Arinola was stabbed to death by her husband over alleged infidelity. Ocheze Ogbonna, a crane operator in Abia State, was pushed to her death by a foreign colleague after reportedly rejecting his love advances.
Also, Celine Ndudim and her Ghanaian friend, Afiba Tandoh went missing last April after visiting one Andrew Amaechi Ochekwo in Aba, Abia State. The man was later killed by police operatives when he attempted to escape from custody following his arrest for alleged serial murder of women.
On July 13, twenty-one-year-old Augusta was allegedly murdered by her lover, Benjamin. The suspect fled after committing the heinous crime at his Oral Estate residence in Ajah, Lagos State.
In October 2023, a man identified as Collins was arrested following the alleged murder of his female partner, a 300-level undergraduate at the University of Port Harcourt, Justina Nkang.
Why femicide persists
Indeed, the targeted killing of women did not start today. This atrocity which is deeply rooted in power structure that discriminates against women and motivated by the offenders’ perception of superiority, dates back to time immemorial.
Enabled by ingrained socio-cultural norms that fuel patriarchy and a criminal justice system which has failed to recognise and adequately punish the crime, perpetrators and their supporters have been encouraged to continue this unchecked and despicable violence that leads to the killing of their victims in the most horrific, gory and unimaginable ways.
Although femicide is often as a result of cyclic violence perpetuated against women and girls before their death, there seem to be a nexus between femicide, ritual killings, and organ trafficking especially in Nigeria. This is because most of the reported cases have shown a pattern of the dismemberment of the body parts of victims by the perpetrators. Many of those arrested claimed that they either wanted to use their victims for rituals or sell the parts. Experts believe that deeply rooted cultural, economic, and social factors, superstitious beliefs and the pursuit of quick wealth or power are driving individuals to commit these atrocities, with vulnerable women, often the target.
They opine that the commercialisation of human body parts, especially those of women, for rituals or organ trade has exacerbated the issue, creating a lucrative black market for these crimes.
A pathologist with the Nigeria Police Force, Dr. Samuel Keshinro, an Assistant Commissioner (ACP), told The Nation that the reason for femicide was multifactorial, ranging from the patriarchal societal norms, unreasonable misogynistic attitude, mental health issues of perpetrators to gender inequality experienced by the victims
To Keshinro, recurrent violence against the victim is a common trigger sign to watch out for, to avoid the dastardly act of femicide. Regular intoxication with alcohol and/or controlled substances can predispose violence and eventual femicide, he added.
According to the Chief Operations Officer, DOHS Care Foundation, Mrs. Ololade Ajayi, the nonrecognition of the crime of femicide by Nigerian laws was partly responsible for its persistence, stressing that the husband of a domestic violence victim who dies should be investigated for femicide.
Ajayi also attributed the persistence of the crime to the culture of victim blaming, which she said emboldens perpetrators by taking the onus of responsibility off them.
“Many people have found love on dating sites, why should it be turned to a den for bloodletting for women and girls? There is a community of Incel online, especially on X and other social media platforms that actively begins to blame victims when femicide happens.
“What they are doing is to signify to the perpetrator that it’s ok, you have a community here supporting and defending you, and that is why you see perpetrators begin to feed into the narrative they are putting out.
“They did it with Augusta Oseodion who was murdered in 2023 and even recently with the woman who was burnt to death by her husband in Abagana, Anambra State.
“Also, the absence of a law on femicide is definitely contributing to the crime. Perpetrators are not aptly punished,” she said.
Challenges in curbing the menace
Tracking data on femicide is quite challenging, time and finance consuming, which many organisations- public and private- have limited resources to attend to. When a case of suspected femicide is recorded, forensic experts or pathologists have to be brought into the picture to conduct detailed examinations some of which include taking DNA samples that are flown abroad and cross matching results with those in the biometric databases to possibly identify a suspect not yet in custody, which do not come cheap.
To Dr. Keshinro, manpower shortage and training needs were part of the challenges faced by law enforcement officers in identifying and preventing or curbing the menace.
“Too few investigators or specialised homicide officers; inadequate specialised medical doctors or pathologists that can conduct autopsies- an important procedure to medically ascertain cause of death which is necessary to identify femicide and/or prosecute offenders.
“Also, cultural norms tend towards “resolving” femicide cases within the family to avoid bringing “disrepute” to the members, as well as inadequate awareness on triggers to look out for to avoid femicides,” he said.
The challenge, to him, was not the absence of law but the enforcement and procedures surrounding the prosecution.
“I am sure there are laws against any type of illegal killing of another person including this specially recognised type termed femicides. Section 319 of the Criminal Code Act in Nigeria states the punishment for murder (male or female homicide or femicide – (1) “Subject to the provisions of this section of this Code, any person who commits the offence of murder shall be sentenced to death…”
To Ajayi, “we need funding to follow up on cases to get details especially in rural areas and follow up with judgment in these cases. We need to reach more communities in terms of awareness. Also, there is a lot of hostility online when we post these cases, femicide deniers and Incels come at us with a lot of vitriol.”
How delayed justice exacerbates PTSD for victims’ relatives
For relatives of victims of femicide, the sorrow of losing their loved ones under such circumstances could have lessened if they had gotten justice. But their pains have been worsened with feeling of helplessness, anxiety and frustration, no thanks to the delays in administering justice. For instance, most of the cases in the report were still pending in court, awaiting trial or still under investigation, years after the crime was committed, thus denying the relatives much-needed closure.
At the DOHS’ memorial for victims of femicide held on November 30 at the National Stadium in Surulere, some relatives of femicide victims shared how the absence of justice had exacerbated their Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
One of the relatives was Damilola Ayanwole, the elder sister of Bamishe Ayanwole. She recalled with nostalgia how loving her younger sister, whose birthday coincidentally, was the same day as the event, November 30.
“My sister was a sweet soul, whose life was unnecessarily cut short. Our family has been made to go through this prolonged grief as we are yet to get justice since 2022 despite the arrest of one of the major suspected perpetrators of the murder.
“I was there in the laboratory at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) when they collected specimen from Bamishe’s body. I saw when they were inserting something into her private parts. I asked what it was, and I was told they were taking a sample to determine if she was raped. It was also supposed to show the DNA of the person or people who raped her.
“But till date, we haven’t heard or seen any results concerning the specimen that they took from her body. We were told it would be taken abroad for the test, but nothing has been heard till today. It is saddening.”
She also lamented that the other accomplices of Omonikoron who he claimed boarded the bus and forced him to divert his route at gunpoint, before allegedly raping, robbing and killing Bamishe were yet to be apprehended years later.
“Where are they? Why have they not been produced? Where are Bamise’s belongings? Her phone, her bag? We were told she had everything she needed to present to the mother of the unborn baby, who is my brother’s wife. She had even sewn clothes for the baby. Where are all these things?”
“The family’s experience in seeking justice for Bamishe has been challenging and frustrating. We have faced multiple adjournments in court, which have delayed the justice process. The family feels that the government has not done enough to investigate the case and bring the perpetrators to justice,” she lamented.
Law enforcement and the quest for justice
Although femicide is not known as a distinct crime under the laws of the country, the police must be commended for taking steps towards curbing all forms of gender-based violence and ensuring adequate data storage. The crime analysis record obtained by our Correspondent from the police headquarters in the course of this investigation showed that a total of 17,415 SGBV cases were recorded last year. Of the number, 17,306 were investigated, 15,792 charged to court but only 2,758 convictions were secured.
Just last week, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olukayode Egbetokun directed the expansion of gender offices in all divisions across the country. Prior to this directive, the police only had gender offices at the state, zonal commands and force headquarters.
With the establishment of police gender offices at all the divisions, SGBV victims can get timely help before their situations worsen.
Also, the IGP directed that only qualified officers should man the gender desks, adding that they will have to undergo specialised trainings to equip them with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise to effectively handle such cases.
“This integration is designed to provide a holistic approach to handling gender-based violence and related cases, fostering a supportive environment for victims and ensuring swift justice delivery. “The strengthening of the GBV desk offices underscores the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of victims and survivors of gender-based violence.
“It is a proactive response to the increasing need for focused resources and specialised interventions to protect vulnerable populations.
“The IGP urges all citizens to report incidents of violence and take advantage of these desk offices to seek justice and protection.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to uphold justice, ensuring that all citizens’ rights and freedoms are protected without discrimination or bias,” said Police spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a statement.
Moreover, Dr. Keshinro and his team are working on a grant project sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies to measure femicides in Lagos State.
“We are yet to conclude the data analysis on trends and risks factors specifically connected to femicide in our environment. Our findings will be made public at the end of the project,” he said.
At the Lagos Command level, steps have already commenced to not only document femicide cases but also provide safe spaces for victims of SGBV. This is being done in collaboration with the office of the First Lady so that a befitting shelter/clinic is provided for victims to feel protected.
Legislative intervention
Already, the House of Representatives on February 18, asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to facilitate the designation of special divisions within existing courts at all levels to expeditiously handle homicide, femicide and related cases.
The House made the call following a motion titled “A National Call to Halt Homicidal and Femicidal Acts in Nigeria”, sponsored by Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante (PDP, Rivers), Faleke James Abiodun (APC, Lagos), Ogah Amobi Godwin (LP, Abia) and Manu Soro Mansur (PDP, Bauchi).
It resolved to investigate the causes of recent killings of women and girls across the country. It asked the relevant law enforcement agencies to prioritise homicide investigations and ensure thorough prosecution of offenders to serve as deterrent to other offenders.
The House also asked religious organisations, the National Orientation Agency, the Ministry of Women Affairs and other advocacy groups to initiate public awareness campaigns focusing on instilling ethical values and respect for human life, and to promote programmes that educate young people on the dangers of ritual killings, murder, and manslaughter.
Moving the motion on behalf of the sponsors, Abiante argued that establishing Special Divisions within existing courts with exclusive jurisdiction over homicide and related cases will expedite justice, reduce backlogs, and restore public confidence in the legal system.
He expressed concern over the delays in the prosecution of homicide cases, which have caused prolonged pre-trial detentions leading to overcrowding of correctional facilities, loss of crucial evidence, and eroding public faith in the judicial system.
Abiante appealed to the House to mandate the Committees on Judiciary and Human Rights to liaise with the NJC and other relevant stakeholders to monitor the implementation of the resolution and report progress within a stipulated timeframe.
The way forward
Advocating for a national femicide law, United States of America based researcher, Jessica Ojiugo Chinonye, said the absence of a legalised femicide law has exacerbated the underreporting of such issues in Nigeria and lessened the severity of the crime.
She noted that the lack of comprehensive data on femicide was also an issue.
“The numbers currently reported at the national level are questionable, especially with the prevalence of economic-motivated harvesting of female reproductive organs in the country.
“The lack of a legalised femicide law has exacerbated the underreporting of such activities in Nigeria and has made the severity of the crime less visible.
“This article aims to name the problem by defining and advocating for a femicide law encompassing the social realities of many Nigerian females,” she stated in the abstract to her research on the topic.
Acknowledging a gap in database on femicide, Ajayi of DOHS said her organisation stepped in to provide a solution in 2023, which has revealed the huge problem that femicide in Nigeria is.
“It’s always been there but mostly reported as domestic violence, ritual cases or something else by the media hence, the uproar dies down after a few days and everyone moves on till the next case,” She said.
On the way forward, she said femicide must be recognised as a crime in the country’s laws so that stiffer punishments can be provided.
“We submitted a bill on femicide before the Lagos State House and the National Assembly in April 2024. It’s been ignored. If stiffer punishment such as death sentence is prescribed for the crime of femicide when recognised in the law, it will help to abate the crime.
“The law will also strengthen the actions for effective prevention, protection, care, investigation, prosecution, punishment and comprehensive reparation to guarantee the right of women and girls to a life free from violence and stereotyped patterns of behaviour in accordance with due diligence and other international human rights obligations.
“We, however, still have a lot to do on creating awareness and a huge responsibility lies on the media to spread the awareness and report accurately the crime of femicide taking into cognisance the red flags and domestic violence cases that are attempted femicide cases.
“To prevent, we need to call it femicide. We need women to be aware of what constitute the crime of femicide. We need male allies to speak up and mentor young boys/men against toxic masculinity that parrots misogynistic practices as the norm.
“Because our society operates a patriarchal system, harmful practices against women and girls are often regarded as the norm. A lot of the cases we recorded last year were as a result of misogyny: One discriminatory practice against women or the other; women who dared to be different, who refused to cook a particular type of food; who refused sex; who were believed to be cheating despite being unfounded, who were for some reason labelled as witches and women who dared to say no to proposal by men as well as women who were perceived to be sexually liberated due to their occupation as sex workers and were hated because of this by men who patronised them or due to some form of superiority over the female gender.
“We need to stand up together to combat the crime of femicide, it needs to be declared as state of emergency and addressed effectively and immediately. We believe that the 17 cases we have already in January 2024 alone is a failure of the government in protecting women and girls.
“We are leveraging tech (data activism, app development etc.), research and awareness creation as well as advocacy for legislation to combat femicide on our part,” she added.
Keshinro believes that the solution to curbing femicide lies in the creation of awareness about its existence.
“Identification of factors that can lead to gender-based violence, violence against women and girls and the worst form, femicide should be prioritised involving all stakeholders- the press, security agencies, families, community and religious leaders, judiciary, policy makers and the general citizenry,” he stated.
The Executive Director of Fame Foundation, Aderonke Atoyebi, at a press briefing in Abuja, described femicide as a pandemic and called for a state of emergency to tackle the menace. She also emphasised the need to end victim blaming.
Atoyebi also advocated the strengthening of existing laws that address SGBV, adding that their enforcements must be ensured.
“Perpetrators of femicide must face swift and adequate punishment to deter future crimes. It is critical to break the silence surrounding femicide. Public education programmes that dismantle harmful gender stereotypes and promote gender equality can help reduce this culture of violence. “Engaging men and boys in conversations about gender equality and non-violence is important in changing the harmful gender norms that perpetuate femicide.
“We urge the government, civil society organisations, parents, religious bodies, traditional and community leaders, and all citizens of Nigeria to unite in the fight against femicide. Silence is not an option while women and girls are brutally murdered-just like that.
“We call on the government to strengthen laws addressing femicide and ensure they are properly enforced…” she said.
The rising tide of femicide in Nigeria is a national crisis that calls for immediate action from all sectors of society. Without decisive reforms and widespread cultural shifts, the lives of countless women and girls will remain in peril.
Footnote: This special report was commissioned by The Nation Journalism Foundation.