244 Kids Raped, Abused In Lagos In 9 Months

There is an alarming increase in cases of child rape and abuse in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, in recent times as 244 child rape and abuse cases have been reported in the last nine months.

Statistics released by the Lagos State Government, through the Office of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development showed that between January, 2011 and now, cases of rape and child abuse have reached an alarming rate.

The statistics shows that areas where cases of rape and other child abuse have risen include Yaba, Agege, Ikeja and Surulere.

Yaba has the highest with 38 cases of rape and abuse in the Lagos metropolis reported in the area in the last nine month while Agege, Ikeja and Surulere recorded 33, 32 and 20 rape and abuse cases respectively in the same period.

Following in order of sequence are Ikorodu, 18; Ojokoro, 17; Alimosho, 15; Ajegunle, 14 and Lagos Island, 10, among others.

According to the report, there were cases where less than one- year-old children were raped in the Lagos metropolis. The report revealed that cases of rape have increased in recent times and that the Lagos State Government had declared war against rapists and those who violate the rights of children.

A rapist convicted by the court will go to life imprisonment, according to the revised law of Lagos State on such act.

“It is sad that no rape case has ever been conclusive in court in Lagos,” says Mrs. Funmilayo Osibanjo, Head, Lagos State Transit Home for Victims of Domestic Violence.

She was bitter that no man has ever been jailed on issues involving female child and adult rape, stressing that it is either the families of the victims wanted to settle out of court or because of the stigma attached to people who have been raped.

In the area of juvenile delinquency, 204 of such cases have been reported in Lagos in the last nine month with Oshodi having the highest with 52 cases reported in the last nine months.

Other areas are Mushin/Isolo, 44 and Shomolu 25, among others.

Also, 954 major family crises were reported in the metropolis in the last nine months, with Ajegunle in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area recording the highest with 108 cases reported.

Other areas where major family crises were recorded are Lagos Island, 99; Surulere, 85; Ikorodu, 63; Alimosho and Agege, 58 apiece; Ojo, 52 and Ojokoro, 50, among others.

All the areas mentioned in cases of major family crisis are places inhabited by the downtrodden and poverty stricken persons. It is likely that high rate of poverty, hunger may spark off major crisis in affected families.

Dr. Adedoyin Adebowale, Department of Social Work, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan said the high cost of living in Lagos had made most families to work relentlessly to maintain a reasonable existence, saying that such economic stress had made many homes to lose touch with their children.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga