Lagos records 342 marital rape complaints
Lagos State Government says it has received more than 342 complaints from wives alleging that their husbands forced them to have sex without their consent since the introduction of the state’s new law.
The government warned that husbands who force their wives into sexual intercourse without consent could be prosecuted and face severe punishment, including life imprisonment, under the state’s criminal laws.
Abimbola Joseph
Lagos State Government says it has received more than 342 complaints from wives alleging that their husbands forced them to have sex without their consent since the introduction of the state’s new law.
The government warned that husbands who force their wives into sexual intercourse without consent could be prosecuted and face severe punishment, including life imprisonment, under the state’s criminal laws.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Dr Babajide Martins, disclosed this during a press briefing to announce the commencement of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, organised by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.
Martins said the complaints showed that sexual violence could occur within marriage and should not be dismissed as a private family matter.
He stressed that marriage did not give either spouse an automatic right to engage in sexual activity with the other person without consent.
According to him, the law protects individuals from sexual violence regardless of their marital status, adding that husbands could be held criminally liable where evidence established that they had forced their wives into sexual intercourse.
The DPP warned men against assuming that being married to a woman gave them unrestricted access to her body.
He urged couples to respect each other’s choices and understand that consent remained essential in sexual relationships, including within marriage.
The awareness month is aimed at drawing public attention to domestic and sexual violence, encouraging victims to report abuse and promoting greater understanding of the legal protections available to survivors.
Martins urged victims of domestic or sexual violence to seek help and report cases to the appropriate authorities rather than suffer the abuse in silence.
He also called on families, community leaders and other stakeholders to support victims and discourage practices that shield perpetrators from justice.
The government reiterated its commitment to strengthening the fight against domestic and sexual violence in Lagos, while warning perpetrators that they would be held accountable for their actions.
It said the campaign would also focus on changing attitudes that normalise violence in intimate relationships and encouraging residents to speak out against abuse.
