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Tag: Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency

  • Lagos unveils policy framework to combat technology-facilitated SGBV

    Lagos unveils policy framework to combat technology-facilitated SGBV

    The Lagos State government, in collaboration with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), has unveiled a policy framework targeted at preventing and responding to technology-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

    The multisectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) was launched at the event to drive the implementation of the policy.

    The framework, described as the first of its kind at the sub-national level in Nigeria, seeks to address the rising cases of digital abuse, including cyber stalking, online grooming, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, digital extortion, and other forms of technology-enabled violations disproportionately affecting women and girls.

    Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the policy marks a major milestone in the state’s commitment to protecting residents in physical and digital spaces.

    “Technology has transformed communication, but it has also introduced new pathways for harm,” she said.

    “Cyberstalking, non-consensual image sharing, digital extortion, and online grooming are real and pervasive. As a State, we must ensure that our protections evolve as rapidly as the threats confronting our citizens.”

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    Vivour-Adeniyi noted that the development of the policy was supported by the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) programme implemented by International IDEA. She added that launching the policy on Human Rights Day reinforced Lagos’ commitment to safeguarding digital rights.

    She highlighted the objectives of the framework, which include strengthening prevention, reporting, investigation, and response mechanisms; enhancing the capacity of key stakeholders; and promoting collaboration between government agencies, civil society, and the private sector.

    First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, commended DSVA for its foresight in addressing the rapidly evolving risks associated with technology and social media. She described TF-SGBV as “real, evolving, and deeply destructive,” particularly for women, children, and vulnerable groups.

    “The unveiling of this policy framework is a bold and timely step to protect human dignity in both physical and digital spaces,” she said. “As we intensify efforts during the 16 Days of Activism, this policy provides a blueprint for a Lagos where online spaces are safe and perpetrators whether behind screens or on the streets are held accountable.”

    Mrs Ibijoke also referenced recent visits to rehabilitation centres, NGOs, and frontline support facilities in Majidun, Igbogbo, Ebutte, Ikorodu, and Alakara as part of her advocacy. She praised the dedication of service providers and reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening systems that support survivors.

    The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), described the launch as a step to align the state’s justice system with emerging global trends. He noted that technology-facilitated violence has become a rapidly growing threat, citing global and national statistics that show a significant rise in online abuse targeting women and girls.

    “Technology must never become a weapon for committing crimes or humiliation. The law must keep pace with human behaviour, even when that behaviour migrates to the digital realm. If SGBV goes online, justice will follow it there,”he said.

    He added that the Ministry of Justice remains fully committed to ensuring prosecution of offenders, while the newly inaugurated TWG will strengthen digital investigative capacity, enhance referrals, and ensure survivor-centered implementation of the framework.

    Representing the Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mary Ayim, reiterated the commitment of the Police Command to enforcing the policy and tackling SGBV in all its forms. She noted that the Gender Unit of the Command, supported by DSVA, has become a model for other states.

    “As law enforcement professionals, we increasingly confront crimes that occur across digital platforms. This policy is a strategic step toward strengthening our investigative and operational frameworks to ensure accountability and protect victims,” she added.

     Justice Abiola Soladoye, who represented the Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, assured continued support from the judiciary. She commended the initiative, describing it as timely and necessary.

    “Lagos State’s judiciary will always support all that is excellent,” she said. She urged police officers to improve commitment to court processes by ensuring Investigating Police Officers (IPOs) appear in court to testify. “Justice delayed is justice denied. We must work together to keep the wheel of justice rolling,” she said.

  • Agency flags off 16 days of advocacy

    Agency flags off 16 days of advocacy

    The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, (DSVA) last week began the commemoration of the this year’s 16 days of activism to eliminate gender-based violence.

    The activities which started Monday, November 25, is part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Its closure  December 10 is to coincide with this year’s International Human Rights Day.

    To mark this year’s campaign, the DSVA, in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti Corruption programme (ROLACC), with support from the European Union (EU), implemented by the International IDEA is to  engage 16 traditional rulers to amplify and drive home the message against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

    This is being done in recognition of their influential roles in shaping societal norms, The traditional rulers are, as agent of change,  champion behavioral change within their communities to reject violence in all its forms.

    DSVA Executive Secretary, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi stated that the agency relied on data to select these kingdoms having looked at areas with high prevalence, low reportage of cases and areas that has not been engaged during the year.

    The participating traditional rulers and their kingdoms include: the Agbaosi of  Aguda, Ogba, Oba Hakeem Saibu; Oloto of Oto-Awori, Oba Josiah Olanrewaju Ilemobade Aina; the  Olu of Epe Kingdom, Oba Shefiu Olatunji Adewale; the  Alaye of Orisunmibare,  Oba Akeeb Adebowale Rauf; the  Aholu Dale Whedakoh, Oba Wheto Samuel Olusegun; the Eweye of Isiu, Oba David Olukayode Raji; the  Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali; Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom,  Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi.

    Others are the Elegbeda of Egbeda, Oba Hameed Omogoriola Orelope-Laka; the Elejigbo of Langbasa, Oba Hafeez Olakunle Badiru; the  Oloworo of Oworo, Oba Saliu Babatunde; the  Olu of Iwaya, Oba Suleiman Owolabi Ogun Oloko; the  Oniba Ekun of Iba Kingdom,  Oba (Dr.) Sulaimon Adeshina Raji: the Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun: the Alakesan of Akesan Kingdom, Oba Dr. Nojeemdeen Abidemi Aderejo and the Onilashe of Ilashe Kingdom,  Oba Abdul Hakeem Adeyimika Abisogun.

    Flagging off of the advocacy campaign at the Oniwaya of Iwaya’s palace in Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos, Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi said that the whole essence is to leverage on the international days, through the traditional rulers to close the gaps of advocacy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the state.

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    “It is an opportunity for us to heightened awareness and demystified certain myths that are associated with sexual and gender-based violence. This year’s theme; ‘Towards Beijing +30: Unite To End Violence Against Women and Girls’ is very apt with what we do at DSVA, but we thought it is expedient to use this opportunity to engage traditional rulers, because they sometimes serve as first responders and also they are the custodian of culture.

    “Culture can encourage and discourage perpetration of sexual and gender based violence in the community. So, It is important for us to strengthen our relationship with the traditional rulers.

    “We are also using this events to spotlight 16 traditional Rulers in the State for their support in the fight against SGBV”, she said..

    “We started with Iwaya Kingdom. So at the end of the 16 days of activism, we would have gone to 16 kingdoms and saturated the kingdoms with this zero tolerance message of sexual, gender violence, and ultimately encourage residents on the international days. We know that we are gradually breaking the culture of silence, encouraging people to speak out and seek help.

    Answering questions from, newsmen on the launch of the engagement, Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi said by leveraging on the authority and influence of these traditional rulers, Lagos DSVA seeks to inspire widespread rejection of GBV while fostering safe and supportive communities.

    “The  days of activism, is heralded by the international day for the elimination of violence against women and girls, which starts which is on the 25th November, annually. And it’s an international, day that will be commemorated across the world. It’s an opportunity for us to heighten awareness, demystifying certain needs that are associated with sexual and genda based violence.”

    She explained that this year, particularly, the theme is on ending gender based violence and that they thought it expedient to use this opportunity to engage traditional rulers because sometimes they serve as first responders.

    “Traditional rulers are custodians of culture, and we know that, culture can, encourage or discourage the continuation of gender based violence. So it is important for us to strengthen our relationship with the traditional rulers, starting from Iwaya Kingdom.

     “So at the end of the 16 days of activism, we would have gone to 16 kingdoms and saturated the kingdoms with this zero tolerance message of sexual, gender violence, and ultimately encourage residents of the international days.

    Asked of the level of success, she said, “we  know that we are gradually breaking the culture of silence, encouraging people to speak out, and seek help.

    “ We looked at areas with high prevalence. We looked at areas with low reportage, and we looked at areas that we haven’t been to in the year. So we  are going to as far as  Badagry, Ikorodu, Ikeja.  We’ve been to Iwaya. So, we are  trying to spread our tentacles across the state.

    “But despite the fact that we are covering only 16 kingdoms, we would still endeavor to reach other kingdoms in the year or in the year to come.

    Mrs. Vivour-Adeniyi who maintained that previous advocacy by the agency has led to increase in the formal and informal reporting cases, said the campaign train will move around the five divisions of Lagos and reach the nooks and crannies of the state within the 16 days as more kingdoms will be covered in the coming years.

    In his remarks, the Oniwaya of Iwaya Kingdom, Oba Suleiman Owolabi Ogun-Oloko appreciated the state government and their sponsors for making his kingdom the starting point of the 16-day campaigns.

    He acknowledged that the community is not impervious to the issue of domestic and sexual violence, stressing that he has on different occasions, intervened in numerous reported cases of sexual and gender-based atrocities which he escalated to the DSVA.

    He also noted that the sensitization would go a long way to assist the residents of his community on how to fight this scourge.

    Oba Ogun-Oloko told members of the community that nobody has the right to beat his wife, husband or child as it constitute an offence punishable under the law.

    He educated them that it constituted an offence for anybody to sleep with a girl under 18 years of age or impregnate her.

     The State Project Coordinator, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Program funded by European Union and implemented by International IDEA, Mrs Ajibola Ijimakinwa, said that it is important to get the buy-in of the traditional rulers and to also sensitize the members of the community about the dangers of sexual and Gender-based violence.

    She said this would  ensure that the message is cascaded to other members of the community towards not only reducing the scourge but to also eradicate it.

    A DSVA facilitator, Mrs Tope Ademola enlightened members of the community on what constitute offences under sexual and gender base violence.

    Mrs Ademola told members of the community that it is an offence for a husband to beat his wife without her consent.

    She also told them that it is an offence for  parents to beat any of their children  in such a way that it would leave scars on his or her body, describing it as an abuse punishable under the law .

    She listed offences punishable and may earn an offender prison terms to include rape, particularly of underaged girls, psychological abuse, beating of ones husband or wife.

    “Forceful sex is rape and must be reported’, she said.

    They were also cautioned against maltreating house helps, either by merciless beatings or denying them of  food at the right time as such constituted offences punishable under the SGBV laws.

    Last Friday, the team was at  Orisumbare as part of the16 days of activism engagement.

     Oba Akeeb Adebowale Rauf’s Palace to celebrate the ongoing 16 Days of Activism on the 29th day of November 2024.

    Alaye of Orisunmibare, Alaiyeluwa Oba Akeeb Adebowale Rauf in his welcome, appreciated the community for their patience and willingness to participate in the ongoing 16 days of Activism.

    He admonished his people on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, and the role each and everyone in the Orisunmibare community plays in ensuring that there is zero tolerance for every act of Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, and Child Abuse.

    The Alaye of Orisunmibare also informed them of the provisions Lagos State has made provisions in combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence through the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and urged the people of Orisunmibare Community should report through the toll-free line 0-8000-333-333 whenever they see or experience any form of violence in the community.