By Joy Onu
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Kwara State Office, has received 122 complaints of domestic violence between January and October 2026, highlighting the continued prevalence of abuse within families and intimate relationships.
The State Coordinator of the Commission, Mrs Olajumoke Olaoye, gave the figure on Monday in Ilorin, noting that the complaints involved physical, emotional, sexual and economic abuse.
Olaoye said increasing awareness of marital rights and the willingness of victims to seek help had encouraged more people to report abusive experiences.
She stated that although women accounted for a larger proportion of the complainants, men had also approached the Commission over abuse by their wives.
She explained that societal expectations and the stigma attached to male victimhood often discouraged men from reporting domestic violence.
The Coordinator identified spousal rape as a form of sexual violence, stressing that marriage or the payment of bride price did not remove the need for consent in sexual relations.
She expressed concern that some families preferred to conceal sexual abuse, particularly rape, rather than report incidents and seek justice for victims.
Olaoye attributed the persistence of domestic violence, especially against women, partly to cultural practices and religious misconceptions that promote female subordination and encourage women to tolerate abusive relationships.
“Our culture has relegated women to the background, and there are still some traditional settings where women are not allowed to participate in certain meetings or express their opinions.
“Some people also interpret religious teachings to mean that women must endure abuse in the name of respecting their husbands,” she said.
She said the commission was engaging religious leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to challenge such perceptions and encourage community support for efforts to prevent domestic violence.
Olaoye also raised concerns about the physical abuse of children, emphasising that parental discipline must not violate their fundamental rights.
On legal protection for victims, she cited Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution and the Kwara State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law 2020 as key instruments for addressing domestic abuse.
She said the state legislation covered various forms of violence, including physical assault, sexual abuse, economic violence and the unlawful deprivation of a spouse’s property, with penalties including fines and imprisonment.
According to her, the Ministry of Justice had started applying the law in criminal prosecutions, particularly rape cases, although its implementation was progressing gradually.
The coordinator explained that complaints requiring intervention beyond the capacity of the commission’s state office could be referred to its national headquarters for consideration by the council.
She said the council could conduct investigations and inquiries and issue decisions enforceable as judgments of a High Court.
Olaoye added that the commission’s legal department could also engage pro bono lawyers to pursue public interest litigation on behalf of victims unable to afford legal representation.
She identified the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the police, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development as partners in addressing cases of abuse.
On reporting procedures, she said victims could lodge complaints by visiting the commission’s office or through telephone calls, WhatsApp messages and emails.
She added that complaints could also be submitted anonymously or through third parties, particularly where victims feared intimidation or stigmatisation.
Olaoye therefore urged, victims to speak out and seek assistance rather than endure abuse in silence, even as she called on families, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to support efforts to prevent domestic violence and ensure accountability.
