LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Despite government promises and policies aimed at protecting children from abuse, systemic dysfunctions within law enforcement, the judiciary, and social support structures continue to deny justice and protection to young victims across Nigeria.
In a recent investigation, Medinat Kanabe looks at the Lagos and Ondo cases.
In 2024, over 3,200 children in Lagos were victims of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse, according to disturbing figures released by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA).
These children, many still in primary and secondary schools were among the 9,279 survivors of domestic violence reported in the state that year.
Yet the numbers only scratch the surface.
“First, the number is more than that. Those are just the reported cases,” says Ololade Ajayi, founder of DOHS Cares Foundation and curator of femicide reports. “Implementation of the law is the problem. Law enforcement frustrates half of the cases before they get to court.”
While government officials tout policy reforms and educational programs, including child-rights clubs in schools and online courses for parents, Ajayi and other frontline workers argue that these efforts are undermined by deep-rooted structural failures.
Known Faces, Hidden Crimes
READ ALSO: FULL TEXT: Tinubu Marks Children’s Day With Pledge To Safeguard Nigerian Children
A closer look at the DSVA data reveals a chilling reality: in 84% of the reported child abuse cases, the perpetrators were not strangers, but relatives or individuals known to the victims, an alarming trend that complicates both reporting and prosecution.
Despite initiatives such as the Kings and Queens Club and a free parental safeguarding course that reached over 13,000 Lagos parents, the sheer scale and recurrence of abuse reflect a wider societal and institutional failure.
“Our approach is not just remedial but also preventive,” insists Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of the DSVA. “We ensure that child-centred institutions, especially schools, have clear procedures to prevent GBV.”
However, critics argue that policy without enforcement is insufficient.
When Justice is Denied
The challenges extend far beyond prevention. Survivors and advocates point to a justice system plagued by inertia, insensitivity, and poor coordination.
“Law enforcement would have frustrated half of the reported cases before they got to court,” Ajayi explains.
“For those that do get to court, half of them will be frustrated by the arduous process because of a lack of support systems or resources to pursue justice.”
This frustration is echoed hundreds of kilometres away in Ondo State, where underreporting remains a major obstacle, and justice is more often negotiated in silence than served in court.
Voices from Ondo
In Ondo State, Fayanju Yetunde Deborah, a social worker at Minds Medica Specialist Hospital, sees firsthand how abuse scars children, many of whom arrive at the mental health facility with trauma-related disorders.
The hospital collaborates closely with the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Akure, especially in the areas of case management, psychiatric evaluation, therapy, and referral services.
“Out of the clients we’ve served, only a small percentage have seen their abusers prosecuted,” she says.
“Many cases are settled informally, especially in rural areas, due to family pressure or community silence.”
At the hospital, they we provide trauma-informed therapy (individual and family-based), conduct awareness campaigns for parents and caregivers on early signs of abuse, engage in school-based mental health outreach, offer teletherapy options, making mental health support more accessible in rural communities.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Children Have No Future Under Tinubu’s Govt – NPFM
But even where therapy is available, stigma and cost remain persistent barriers. Legal support is often symbolic: poorly funded, slow, and inaccessible to many in remote or impoverished areas.
There is no dedicated state-run shelter, leaving many child survivors to rely on relatives or faith-based organisations for refuge—if any.
A Cry for Reform
Despite active intervention by NGOs, mental health professionals, and government agencies, the child protection ecosystem remains fragmented.
Stakeholders agree on the need for:
Stronger law enforcement accountability, including better training for police and dedicated child protection units.
Quicker, victim-centered legal processes, with adequate funding for prosecution and victim support.
Functional, state-funded shelters across regions.
Integrated multi-sectoral response, bridging health, legal, educational, and community services.
Until these reforms take root, experts warn, policies and public declarations will remain empty gestures.
A Silent Emergency
Nigeria’s children, often abused by those closest to them, are further betrayed by systems meant to protect them. Without bold and enforceable reforms, many more will suffer in silence—unseen, unheard, and unprotected.