A new study has revealed that Lagos State recorded 70 cases of femicide between 2020 and 2024, with Eti-Osa Local Council emerging as the most affected area, accounting for 19 per cent of the total cases.

The study, conducted under a grant project measuring femicides in Lagos, adopted the statistical framework of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations (UN). It was presented at an information dissemination programme tagged Measuring Femicides in Lagos State: Data, Advocacy and Action by the Force Pathologist Office of the Nigeria Police Force.

Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender, is one of the most severe forms of gender-based violence (GBV). According to the findings, a woman is murdered in Nigeria every 49 hours by her partner or another male, reflecting the rising burden of gender-driven killings nationwide.

Force Pathologist, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Samuel Keshinro, who presented the report, said GBV and femicide have become “one of the most urgent human rights issues worldwide.” He noted that although GBV can affect anyone, women and girls are disproportionately impacted due to entrenched gender inequalities and discrimination.

The retrospective analysis recorded 1,666 unnatural deaths in Lagos during the study period: 1,316 males (79 per cent) and 350 females (21 per cent). Of the female deaths, 230 (66 per cent) were classified as homicides, 11 (three per cent) as suicides.

Six (2 per cent) as misadventures, while 103 (29 per cent) remained undetermined. Among the 70 femicide cases, perpetrators were identified in 94 per cent, with men making up 84 per cent of suspects.

Age data showed that women aged 15-44 accounted for the majority of victims. Incident analysis revealed that most cases occurred in the morning hours, with March alone accounting for 25 per cent of the total.

While Lagos recorded 0.23 femicides per 100,000 females, far lower than Africa’s estimated 2.9 victims per 100,000 in 2023, Keshinro said the relatively low rate may reflect limitations in data collection and unresolved cases. He stressed the urgent need for improved record-keeping, forensic procedures and prosecutions.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Olohundare, described the intentional killing of women and girls “based on gender motives” as an alarming public health and human rights crisis. Citing the UNODC’s figure of 51,100 global femicides in 2023, he urged collective action to address the menace through advocacy, legislative reform and community engagement.

Chief Justice of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, stressed that “data will be useless if it’s not acted upon.” He pledged the judiciary’s commitment to using research findings to strengthen jurisprudence on violence against women and girls.

The study was supported by Vital Strategies Inc. as technical partner and Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative.

Olohundare concluded: “It is vital that we collaborate to change current narratives, enforce relevant laws, and safeguard lives. This research provides an essential resource for combating femicide in Lagos and across Nigeria.” (The Guardian)