Lagos cracks down on sex offenders

The Lagos state government in Nigeria has commenced publishing the details of convicted sex offenders in the state, including names and pictures, according to local media quoting an official.

It is part of a crackdown on domestic abuse and gender-based violence, under provisions given by section 42 of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law.

“This measure is one amongst many deployed by the state government to end the culture of impunity and also serve as a deterrence to other sex offenders,” Nigeria’s The Guardian paper quoted the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, as saying.

Letters have also been issued to local governments where the sex offenders used to live, Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi added.

In 2021, the Lagos State Government said it had recorded more than 10,000 cases of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the previous two years.