As part of ongoing efforts to curb sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Lagos State, the Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), Managers Ireti Resource Centre, concluded a three-day intensive training for law enforcement officers on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
The training, held at Sunfit Hotels in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, aimed to equip officers with the knowledge, attitude, and tools needed to respond to cases of sexual violence in a sensitive, survivor-centered, and rights-based manner.
The initiative is part of WRAHP’s two-year project titled “Protecting Women and Girls from Sexual Violence through Changes in Behaviour, Practices and Attitudes of Community Members”, supported by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), and implemented across Alimosho, Ojo, and Oshodi-Isolo LGAs.
During the event, participants—comprising police officers and law enforcement personnel from key divisions in the state—engaged in hands-on sessions facilitated by legal experts and senior police officers.
Legal Insight into Sexual Offences
On the second day of the training, legal practitioner Yetunde Odekunle delivered a comprehensive lecture on the legal framework for handling sexual offences in Lagos State.
Citing relevant sections of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, she walked officers through critical legal definitions, penalties, and procedures:
Rape (Section 260): Non-consensual intercourse, punishable by life imprisonment.
Sexual Assault by Penetration (Section 261): Life imprisonment.
Attempted Rape (Section 262): 14 years.
Sexual Assault (Section 263): 3 years.
Sexual Harassment (Section 264): 3 years.
Coercion into Sexual Acts (Section 265): 5 years or life if penetration occurs.
Odekunle emphasized that consent must be clear, informed, and can be withdrawn at any point.
“Submission under threat, impersonation, or fear is not consent,” she stated.
Debunking persistent myths—including the misconception on marital rape, she said sexual abuse involving couples, “while not explicitly criminalized as rape, it can still amount to assault, and officers must treat it as such.”
She also urged officers to avoid interrogation-style questioning and instead adopt a trauma-informed, empathetic approach.
“A private, safe space and respectful treatment are non-negotiable,” she told attendees.
READ ALSO: WRAHP Holds Legal Clinic to Tackle SGBV in Badagry, Empowers Communities on Legal Rights
Best Practices for Police Response
DSP Roseline Elekhue, another key facilitator, addressed the role of police officers in preventing and responding to sexual violence.
“Training and retraining are vital,” she noted. “These officers here today will return to their stations with new insight, and hopefully, influence their colleagues to adopt more professional practices.”
Elekhue also highlighted the need for timely evidence collection and medical referrals, especially within the 72-hour window for forensic testing.
Voices from the Field
DSP Felix Okadi, one of the participating officers, described the training as “eye-opening and impactful.”
He praised the facilitators and pledged to disseminate the lessons learned to fellow officers in his division.
“The issue of SGBV is rampant,” he said. “Our Family Support and Gender Units are doing their best, and training like this will only strengthen our response. I urge that this be sustained and expanded.”
Strengthening Partnerships
The training emphasized interagency collaboration, better case documentation, and community engagement. WRAHP Executive Director, Ms. Bose Ironsi, reiterated the organization’s commitment to building safer communities through advocacy, support services, and stakeholder capacity building.
“Law enforcement plays a central role in shifting public attitudes, ensuring justice for survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable,” Ironsi said. “This training reinforces our mission to build a society where women and girls live free from fear and violence.”
The event concluded with a renewed call for stronger civil society-security collaborations, enhanced survivor protection mechanisms, and systemic reform to ensure timely and just responses to all forms of sexual violence in Lagos State.