Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in Ogun State, Hon. Adijat Adeleye, yesterday called on the State House of Assembly to enact tougher legislation to safeguard Gender Based Violence(GBV) against girl child, women and other vulnerable people in the state.
Adeleye, who equally revealed that the state has recorded Five Hundred and Two (502) cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) between January and November 2025, described the figures as alarming, urging the lawmakers to, as a matter of urgency, pass a law that would protect the vulnerable against GBV.
She disclosed this shortly after an advocacy walk with the First Lady of the State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, Members of the Spouses of the Government Functionaries (SOGSFA), among Stakeholders, as part of efforts to commemorate the Year 2025 Sixteen Days of Activism Against GBV with the theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls”.
The Commissioner, who said that out of the 502 cases, 120 were reported at the State’s Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), while the remaining cases were documented through area offices and partner organisations, describing the figures as “deeply troubling,” stressing that they capture only the portion of cases that reached government channels, while many women and children remain silent out of fear, stigma, or social pressure.
She lamented the rising cases of GBV including sexual assault, domestic abuse, child molestation, digital harassment and intimate partner violence, as major cases of GBV and called on the members of the State House of Assembly to enforce a law that would not only hold perpetrators accountable but also back institutions to support and protect survivors.
Adeleye explained that the rise in cases reflects both the persistence of violence and the growing willingness of survivors to seek help due to improved reporting systems. She noted that the spike in digital-related abuse, such as cyberbullying, online harassment, sextortion, as well as impersonation, was emerging as a major concern for the state at large in the digital age.
She warned that technology had created a new frontier for abuse, allowing perpetrators to target victims remotely and anonymously, explaining that the growing digital exposure of young people had left many vulnerable to online grooming, extortion and emotional manipulation, while advocating for bold legal reforms to better support survivors, including special court for GBV.
The Commissioner divulged that the ministry embarked on state-wide sensitisation programmes in both rural and urban communities, engaging traditional institutions, religious bodies and schools to dismantle cultural practices that normalise violence, in addition to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), which also strengthened to assist young people understand personal safety, consent and digital responsibility.
She also identified main institutional challenges undermining progress to include: slow judicial processes, family interference, underfunded survivor services and weak inter-agency coordination were listed among the persistent obstacles, while citing a recent defilement case of two minors where, despite evidence and medical reports, the perpetrator has not been apprehended, describing it as “a painful reminder of systemic lapses.”
Adeleye also urged parents, teachers, digital platforms and community leaders to take greater responsibility for safeguarding children and addressing online risks, while encouraging the male folks to act as allies in challenging harmful norms and supporting a violence-free society, noting that GBV prevention requires collective effort.
She, however, reassured survivors of continuous support from the state government to strengthen its toll-free reporting lines, shelters and referral centres, commitment to building a community where every woman and girl could live safely, emphasising that the fight against GBV demanded sustained action, stronger laws and unwavering accountability.
To address the rising numbers, the Commissioner highlighted several interventions of the present administration by the Ministry in partnership with the State Economic Transformation Project, United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA), to include strengthening the Sexual Assaults Referrals Centres (SARCs), expanding temporary shelters, and intensive capacity-building for law enforcement officers, teachers, health workers and social workers on digital safety and GBV response
