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The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, says the agency handles an average of 300 domestic violence cases on a monthly basis, adding that in the last 10 years 6,333 survivors had been assisted.
She spoke on Wednesday at a symposium to mark the 10th anniversary of the LDSVA.
The symposium held with the theme ‘Are we doing enough? A Consideration of Lagos State’s Response to Sexual and Gender-based Violence in the Last Decade,’ held at Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The programme was done in collaboration with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance and funded by the European Union.
Stakeholders, including the police, restated their commitment to tackling sexual and gender-based violence in Lagios State.
While addressing journalists, the Executive Secretary, LDSVA, Titiloloa Vivour-Adeniyi, said over the past 10 years, the culture of silence in matters involving sexual violence was gradually being broken.
According to her, with the establishment of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team by the state government, the response to SGBV cases had been more effective.
Vivour-Adeniyi said, “I think over the past 10 years, we have seen that we are gradually breaking the culture of silence. And this is evident by virtue of the increase in formal and informal reporting of cases.
“As of last year, we provided services to over 6,333 survivors. We now attend to an average of 300 new cases monthly. This is a testament to the increased faith in the system.
“People are more confident in the system. People are becoming more aware of support services that exist that they can take advantage of. And of course, we also have people serving as mandated reporters, good Samaritans, and whistleblowers.
“People are seeing something, saying something and ensuring that something is done.”
She added, “There is no institution that can say they are doing enough. But it’s important for us to celebrate little wins, small wins. And then also have an opportunity to engage with critical stakeholders in this space to identify what the issues are, and make practical recommendations.”
She explained that the programme was also in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Onikan, Adegoke Fayoade, maintained that the police were also doing a lot in stemming SGBV in Lagos.
Fayoade, who is the immediate past Commissioner of Police in Lagos, said, “We have seen cases of sexual and domestic violence, not as family issues again; we have seen them as real cases and we have taken giant steps with the support of the sexual and gender violence unit.
“We are taking giant steps to make sure that those violators, abusers of women and girls, are dealt with within the ambit of the law. What I want to say here is that the sexual and gender violence unit created by the Lagos State Government some years back has been very, very effective, and very supportive in this area.”
The State Project Coordinator for RULAC, Ajibola Ijimakinwa, said the organisation was delighted to partner with Lagos in the fight against domestic violence, noting that RULAC was open to more recommendations that would help in tackling the menace.
She said, “We’re partnering with the DSVA to make this happen today. The symposium is so important to us because a lot has been done in the last 10 years; so we’re here to review the effectiveness of all the advancements that have been made in the fight against SGBV.”
The Centre Director, Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, Dr. Richard Somiari, explained how the centre was providing support in the investigation of SGBV cases.
He explained that the cost of forensic analysis should however not be carried by a survivor of domestic or sexual violence.
Somiari said, “Forensic plays a crucial role in all safety issues and we do not expect that a victim or the survivor should bear the cost. This is something that the government has to be committed to and should be responsible for.”
On her part, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Ayodele Atsetunwa, canvassed the need for sustainable measures to tackle the menace in society, stressing that stakeholders needed to come up with more effective strategies.
At the beginning of the month, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said that his administration had convicted 50 persons for sexual and gender-based violence in the past year.
Sanwo-Olu revealed this in a video shared by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, on X.com.
The governor said this to welcome the month of September, the state’s domestic and sexual violence awareness month, saying, “In the past one year, the state has secured over 50 convictions. We have provided holistic services to over 6,000 survivors and reached out to over a million Lagosians through advocacy and sensitisation.”
