A newly released statistics by the People Awareness on Health Foundation In Nigeria (PAHFIN), says in November 2022, the NGO recorded 642 Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases in Alimosho LGA of Lagos alone, making it the highest in the entire state.
Giving the reason the LGA could have accounted for such an alarming number, Mr Gabriel Oyedeji, Coordinator, Child Protection Network, Alimosho local government area said that the population of about 18 to 20 million people was one of the factors responsible for the high cases of GBV recorded in the area.
Oyedeji said that the level of poverty and economic depression affecting many people in the area was also another major factor engendering the menace.
“Alimosho LGA of Lagos is largely populated with people from different tribes and because the area does not have industries, most of the residents often leave in the morning elsewhere to struggle to meet ends need.
“Poverty and the struggle for survival is a predisposing factor to GBV in the local government area. Some families where the father and mother are not working have become a child-headed family, where their child or children is used for street hawking or even prostitution thereby exposing them to rape, sexual harassment, and other forms of molestation,” he said.
According to him, it is a collective business to reduce the menace to the bearest minimum, if not eradicated, families should be empowered and the judiciary system strengthened.
He then advised the government to consider post-palliative measures for families whose breadwinners were involved in GBV to weaken the Mediation Reconciliation Mechanism currently in practice.
Also, Mrs Yemi Amoo, Focal Person, Family Support Unit, Igando Police station urged residents to always report cases of GBV for further investigation, protection of victims, and referral to court or psychosocial support counselling unit.
