The Nigeria Police Force has called for stronger and more reliable data systems to address the rising cases of femicide.
Femicide refers to the intentional killing of women or girls because of their gender.
It is a severe form of gender-based violence and reflects deep-rooted discrimination, misogyny, and systemic inequality.
The call was made on Thursday during the presentation of a new study titled “Measuring Femicide in Lagos State: Data, Advocacy and Action” held in Ikeja.
The state Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, described femicide as a growing concern in Nigeria, urging urgent collective action from security agencies, civil society, and policymakers.
He, however, noted that without accurate records, efforts to end gender-based violence (GBV) would remain ineffective.
Mr Jimoh stressed the critical role of the police as the first point of contact in the criminal justice system for protecting women and girls but acknowledged ongoing challenges in forensic investigations, autopsies, prosecution, and record keeping.
“These gaps have hindered efforts to fully eradicate violence against women, despite Lagos recording comparatively lower femicide rates in this study,” Mr Jimoh noted.
He highlighted that deficiencies in forensic investigations, autopsies, prosecution rates, and record management in homicide cases involving women and girls remained key obstacles to justice.
To combat this, the commissioner called for improved data collection, legislative reform, and active community engagement as essential components of a comprehensive strategy to tackle femicide and gender-based violence in Lagos and across Nigeria.
Mr Jimoh further announced the establishment of a specialised unit within the command’s Gender Department to handle femicide and domestic violence cases.
Initially funded by donors, the unit is now supported by the Lagos State Government.
He emphasised that officers had been trained to identify early warning signs of domestic violence and to respond to victims with empathy, confidentiality, and professionalism.
Mr Jimoh encouraged women and girls to report violations without fear, assuring them of a supportive and professional response from the police.
He stated, “These gaps have hindered efforts to fully eradicate violence against women, despite Lagos recording comparatively lower femicide rates in this study.’’
He acknowledged the challenges confronting the police in ensuring justice, citing deficiencies in forensic investigations, autopsies, prosecution rates, and record keeping in homicide cases involving women and girls.
According to him, the gaps have hindered efforts to fully eradicate violence against women, despite Lagos recording comparatively lower femicide rates in the study.
The commissioner called for improved data collection, legislative reform, and active community engagement as part of a comprehensive approach to tackling femicide and gender-based violence in Lagos and across Nigeria.
Mr Jimoh announced that the command established a specialised unit within its gender department to handle femicide and domestic violence cases, initially donor-funded but now supported by the Lagos State Government.
He emphasised that officers had been trained to identify early warning signs of domestic violence and respond to victims with empathy, confidentiality, and professionalism.
Mr Jimoh encouraged women and girls to report violations without fear, assuring them of a supportive and professional response from the police.
He added, “Gone are the days when victims were subjected to humiliating questions. Our officers have been trained to respond with empathy, confidentiality, and efficiency.’’
He reiterated the police command’s commitment to tackling femicide as part of its broader crime prevention strategy.
“It is vital that we work together to change harmful narratives, enforce relevant laws, and safeguard lives.
“Only by building a united response can we promote a safer and more equitable society,” he said.
He added that prompt detection, investigation, and prosecution of offenders served not only as justice for victims but also as a deterrent to future crimes.
The police boss commended the command’s pathologist and his team, alongside international partners such as Vital Strategies and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative, for supporting the research
Also speaking, the Nigeria Police Force Pathologist, Samuel Keshiro, stressed the need for reliable data to tackle rising femicide.
Mr Keshiro, while presenting the findings from a year-long study covering 2020 to 2024, reported that a total of 1,666 unnatural deaths involving both males and females were recorded by the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Of these, 1,316 were males (79 per cent), while 350 were females (21 per cent).
He further revealed that among the unnatural deaths, the manner of death remained undetermined in approximately 103 cases, representing about 29 per cent of unresolved cases.
He said, “Additionally, 11 cases (3 per cent) were classified as suicides, six cases (2 per cent) as misadventure and 230 cases (66 per cent) as homicide. The female homicide analysis revealed that 200 cases (87) of homicides) were intentional homicides, with 70 (35 per cent) of intentional homicides classified as femicides, many of which are committed by intimate partners (47 per cent of all femicides). Other variables analysed for femicides showed that about one-third of the victims’ ages were either unknown or not specified. However, among cases where the victim’s age was known, those ages 15-44 years represented the majority (44 per cent). Perpetrators were identified in 66 cases (94 per cent) of the 70 femicide cases, with a naked majority of 59 (84 per cent).’’
He said that most victims were between the ages of 15 and 44, the most productive stage of a woman’s life.
According to him, femicide, the killing of women and girls due to gender-related motives, is considered the most extreme form of GBV.
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, urged police, lawyers, and judges to adopt a human-centred approach in handling femicide cases.
He stressed the importance of reliable data in understanding the causes of femicide, shaping judicial responses, and ensuring fair but firm judgements.
Mr Alogba assured that the judiciary would partner with researchers and advocates to ensure data were properly collected and applied in judicial processes.
The event drew participation of key stakeholders, including members of the judiciary, civil society groups, and state officials, underlining the collective resolve to reduce femicide cases in Lagos.
(NAN)
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