…1,108 men have been domestically abused in the last 6 years
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Idowu Owohunwa, says his office is working towards strengthening intra-police coordination by evolving a structure that would effectively coordinate prompt response to gender-based violence.
The CP stated this on Wednesday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, at the agency’s Novel House Office at Ikeja.
A statement by the DSVA quoted the CP as lauding the agency for its fight against SGBV and domestic violence to ensure the rights of victims and survivors are adequately protected.
“Owohunwa reaffirmed the commitment of the police to working with the government and pledged that the police, under his watch, would complement the efforts of the agency to attain its statutory mandate.
“The CP also called for more awareness campaigns by the agency to break the culture of silence among residents while ultimately encouraging survivors to speak up and get help,” the statement said.
In response, Vivour-Adeniyi restated the Lagos State Government’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the state police command towards curbing the menace of domestic and sexual violence as well as providing necessary support to victims of abuse in the state.
She stated the state government has accomplished great success in its fight against SGBV through its various programmes, policies and interventions championed by the agency, including getting justice for survivors of domestic violence across the state.
Meanwhile, in a recent report by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency in Lagos, 1,108 men have reported being domestically abused in six years.
The DSVA Executive Secretary, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, made this known at the unveiling of “The Hidden Crime, Violence Against Men” initiative at Ikeja.
Vivour-Adeniyi said the initiative was to encourage male folks to speak up, as they also experienced different kinds of violence.
She said that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his inaugural speech on May 29, informed Lagos residents of the addition of ‘PLUS’ into the THEMES Agenda.
The ‘PLUS’, the DSVA scribe said, represented Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and Youth.
According to the DSVA scribe, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is one of the greatest hindrances to achieving gender equality.
“It is, therefore, for these reasons, that the agency deemed it expedient to conceptualise this project – The Hidden Crime, Violence against Men.
“We believe that this will be an opportunity to continue to break the culture of silence, which encourages SGBV to thrive. Indeed, men and boys can be victims of domestic and sexual violence.
“The 1,108 men does not include male children that have experienced one form of GBV or the other,” she said.
The executive secretary disclosed that the agency’s recently concluded community engagement in over 10 local government areas revealed that Lagos’ residents believed that there had been less enlightenment and spotlight on men who were SGBV victims or survivors.
The DSVA Community Engagement Officer, Tobi Ikudaisi said that in 2022, a total of 281 men came to the agency to report one form of violence or the other against them.
Ikudaisi said that a lot of men had not been bold enough to speak up, as they felt they might be ridiculed by society.
He, therefore, encouraged them to speak up against violence meted out on them, so that lives could be saved.
