The Nigeria Police Force has reported that at least 1,666 people died in Lagos State under unnatural circumstances—including homicide, suicide, and misadventures—between January 2020 and December 2024.
The Force Pathologist, ACP Samuel Keshinro, disclosed the figure on Thursday during the presentation of a report on femicide cases in Lagos, themed “Measuring Femicide in Lagos State: Data, Advocacy and Action.”
According to the data, 1,306 of the victims were men, 350 were women, while the gender of 10 others could not be determined. Of the female deaths, 230 involved homicide, including 70 cases classified as femicide, while 11 were linked to suicide.
Keshinro said most femicide cases were perpetrated by intimate partners of the victims, stressing that the data should guide awareness campaigns and policy decisions. “It shows how vulnerable women are, especially in relationships where they should feel most secure,” he said.
He recommended the adoption of electronic data storage and improved information-gathering processes for crime investigations.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olorundare Jimoh, described the femicide rate as relatively low compared to the state’s population but said the command would implement recommendations from the report to strengthen prevention strategies.
“Femicide is not to be disregarded at all. We have trained our officers to detect and prevent domestic violence before it escalates into femicide,” Jimoh said, urging the public to report gender-based violence promptly.
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, commended the police for the initiative, saying the data would help the judiciary make better-informed decisions in administering justice.
He added that every case before the courts must be seen as involving human lives and livelihoods, not just paperwork, and pledged judicial collaboration in ensuring proper data collection and use.
