SGBV cases surge in Nigeria Sodiq Ojuroungbe Sexual and Gender-based Violence remains an ill that continues to cause devastating harm in society and despite the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, advocacies, campaigns and policies geared towards eliminating or reducing it to the barest minimum, recent data obtained by PUNCH Healthwise revealed an alarming rise in number of cases recorded across the country. The VAPP Act signed into law by former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, prohibits any form of violence on persons in private and public life. The law focuses, among others, on SGBV with clear punishment for perpetrators; redefines rape to include oral and anal sex as well as penetration with objects other than the penis.

It provides compensation for victims by offenders and offers more protection for victims than any other existing Nigerian law. An investigation by PUNCH Healthwise, however, discovered that despite the VAPP Act, at least 6,142 GBV cases, which include sexual, physical and psychological abuses were reported in various Nigerian states between January and May. The data obtained by our correspondent from the national gender-based violence dashboard website showed that to date, there have been 43,248 reported cases of GBV with about 2,097 being fatal cases, and the conviction of 636 perpetrators.

The monthly breakdown of GBV cases across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2024 revealed that 74 cases have been recorded so far in May, w.