Femicides Remain a Major Threat to Women, as Lagos Police Present Groundbreaking Report

Femicides Remain a Major Threat to Women, as Lagos Police Present Groundbreaking Report

By Oki Samson

Lagos, Nigeria – Stakeholders have identified femicide – the intentional killing of women and girls – as one of the most alarming forms of gender-based violence in Lagos and across Nigeria, warning that the lack of reliable data remains a major obstacle to effective prosecution and reduction of such crimes.

This concern was raised during the presentation of a Nigeria Police Force (NPF) report on femicide trends in Lagos over the past five years. The study, titled “Measuring Femicide in Lagos State: Data, Advocacy and Action,” examined cases between January 2020 and December 2024, using the United Nations’ statistical framework.

According to the report, Lagos recorded 1,666 unnatural deaths during the period, of which 350 (21%) were women. Out of 230 female homicides, 200 were classified as intentional killings, with 70 identified as femicides. Nearly half (47%) of these were linked to intimate partners, with most victims aged between 15 and 44 years, the prime stage of life.

Police, Judiciary Call for Stronger Systems

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, emphasized the need for more reliable data to combat femicide nationwide. He noted that poor record-keeping, weak forensic processes, and low prosecution rates were undermining Nigeria’s fight against gender-based killings.

“These gaps have hindered efforts to fully eradicate violence against women, despite Lagos recording comparatively lower femicide rates in this study,” Jimoh said.

The Commissioner announced that the Lagos Police Command has set up a specialized unit under its Gender Department to focus on femicide and domestic violence cases. Initially donor-funded, the unit is now supported by the Lagos State Government. Officers in the unit have been trained to respond with empathy, confidentiality, and professionalism, he added.

Jimoh commended Force Pathologist ACP Samuel Keshinro, who led the six-man research team that analyzed the data, for producing findings that would strengthen police capacity and policy responses.

Data Challenges and Findings

Presenting the report, ACP Keshinro explained that reliable data was key to understanding the drivers of femicide. His team’s analysis of police records from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, revealed intimate partner killings as the most common type of femicide.

He noted challenges faced during the study, particularly the reliance on hard copy data records dating back to 2020, which were sometimes incomplete or deteriorated. He recommended the creation of a robust electronic homicide record system to safeguard data integrity and enable inter-agency collaboration.

“We drew inspiration from the electronic medical records model introduced by IGP Kayode Egbetokun across police medical services,” Keshinro said. “Adopting similar systems for homicide data will help us prevent crimes and respond faster to gender-based violence.”

Judiciary Backs Evidence-Based Approach

Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, hailed the initiative as a step that could improve both police services and court proceedings.

“Reliable data helps us understand the causes of femicide and ensures judicial processes are both fair and firm,” Justice Alogba said. He stressed the need for judges, magistrates, and law enforcement officers to adopt a human-centered approach in handling femicide cases, recognizing the real lives affected beyond legal technicalities.

The Chief Judge pledged the judiciary’s partnership with law enforcement, researchers, and civil society in the fight against gender-based violence, stressing that evidence-based data would play a pivotal role in shaping judicial responses and delivering justice.

Broader Context

The report’s release comes ahead of the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, which kicks off the global 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence.

Stakeholders at the event—including police officers, academics, and development partners such as the UN—expressed hope that the research will not only improve data collection but also inform preventive strategies to curb femicide and other forms of violence against women and girls in Nigeria.