Rise in sexual, domestic abuse cases alarming – Lawyer

A lawyer and human rights advocate, Toyin Taiwo-Ojo, has lamented the rise of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria.

She expressed her concerns on Saturday while delivering a keynote speech at the Multimedia Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies in Japan.

She noted that sexual and domestic violence had escalated into a persistent crisis in Nigeria, the most populous African country.

Taiwo-Ojo said, “The establishment of the Stop the Abuse Against Women and Children Foundation in Lagos is to prevent abuse and to offer vital support to survivors of gender-based violence. But the work didn’t emerge from theory or distant observations; it began in response to a single, tragic incident.”

Recounting a recent sexual abuse case, the lawyer said, “There is an ongoing case involving a pastor who preyed on three young brothers and said it was divine intervention. Their mother, trusting him to guide her eldest son away from risky behaviours, unknowingly handed her children to a predator. The pastor subjected the children to appalling abuse, teaching the eldest son sexual behaviours and extending the same to his younger siblings.

“This case, like so many others, painfully underscores the vulnerability of children when those entrusted with power and authority exploit their privileges.”

Taiwo-Ojo concluded that she often faced intimidation from powerful figures who wished to silence their victims.

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