756 Cases In 7 Months: Experts Seek Tougher Actions Against Nigeria’s Sexual Violence

Despite existing laws, awareness campaigns and interventions by government and non-governmental organisations, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) remains a major concern in Nigeria, with 756 cases recorded by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) between January and July 2026.

According to recent NAPTIP data, 549 cases were investigated, 64 arrests were made, two cases were won, and 183 victims were rescued. Since inception, the agency has recorded 5,255 reported cases, 2,887 investigations, 605 arrests, 40 successful cases and 2,592 rescued victims.

The figures come amid growing concern over violence against women, girls and other vulnerable people across the country.

Data from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) showed that 21 per cent of Nigerian women aged 15 to 49 had experienced physical or sexual violence.

Yet, only 24 per cent of survivors sought help to stop the violence, while 18 per cent told someone but did not seek help. About 58 per cent neither sought help nor told anyone.

The NDHS also found that 22 per cent of women and 16 per cent of men believed a husband was justified in beating his wife under certain circumstances.

Similarly, the Womanity Index 2025 Edition by Invictus Africa found that domestic or intimate partner violence accounted for 51 per cent of reported gender-based violence cases. It also showed that 59 per cent of Nigerians had either experienced gender-based violence themselves or knew someone who had.

According to the report, 76 per cent of incidents occurred in the home, compared with 29 per cent in public places, 25 per cent in schools and 20 per cent in workplaces. Survivors were more likely to seek help from family, friends, religious leaders and traditional leaders than formal institutions, with trust playing a major role.

Poverty, Culture and Insecurity Fuel SGBV — NAPTIP

Explaining the factors behind the continued prevalence of SGBV, NAPTIP Head of Press and Public Relations, Vincent Adekoya, said the causes vary across geopolitical zones, tribal settings and communities.

He identified poverty, harmful traditional norms, insecurity, displacement, climate change and technology as major factors exposing women and children to violence.

Adekoya said the poor economic circumstances of some families force them to live in congested and unsafe environments, increasing their exposure to abuse.

“Due to the low economic base of some families, they are forced to live in congested and uninhabitable homes in shanties with increased abuses,” he said.

He also pointed to cultural practices that normalise violence and reinforce unequal gender roles.

“There are some existing cultural norms in some communities where the issues of SGBV are seen as part of the culture. Such traditions play up gender roles and fuel SGBV in the process,” he said.

On insecurity and displacement, Adekoya said people who lose their homes and livelihoods become increasingly vulnerable.

“Because people are displaced and their means of livelihood are affected, they become very vulnerable and may not be able to send their children to school or even feed them. This situation exposes them to abuses,” he said.

He added that climate change was also forcing people to leave their homes in search of livelihoods, creating further vulnerabilities.

Technology Creates New Forms of Abuse

Technology, Adekoya said, has also created new avenues for perpetrators.

“Perpetrators now use digital space and technology to groom their victims and later prey on them. They make friends with innocent children online, groom them for child pornography, revenge porn, and sextortion,” he said.

The growing use of digital platforms, he noted, means that children can be targeted even within spaces where parents may assume they are safe.

NAPTIP Calls for Community Action

On measures to reduce SGBV, Adekoya said NAPTIP had continued to implement the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act.

He called for harmful traditions to be reviewed and for community leaders, government institutions and non-state actors to play a more active role.