Report shows 133 women, girls killed; many suspects still at large
More than 133 grown women and teenage girls were victims of suspected gender-related violence in Nigeria between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, says a report on femicide compiled by the 2024 DOHS Cares Foundation.
DOHS is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to combating gender-based violence and monitoring cases of femicide Its tracker dashboard provided the new data, according reporting by The PUNCH.
DOHS founder Ololade Ajayi told the newspaper that the alarming number of incidents was based on verified reports of gender-related violence published by various media outlets in 2024.
The data shows that approximately 12 women were killed between January and March 2024, among them a three-year-old girl named Asiya, who was initially reported missing but was later found dead in Bauchi with some of her body parts allegedly removed.
April 2024
At least nine women lost their lives to gender-related violence, one of them, Aminat, a 100-year-old woman killed by her 67-year-old son, Lukman Adejoju, during a dispute over the proceeds from palm oil sales.
May and June
At least 23 women died under comparable circumstances, including Ifeoma Ajuluchukwu, 69, a widow brutally beaten until she fell unconscious while ill at home.
July
At least 16 incidents were reported, including that of Ifeoma Eze Esther, a 100-level student at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) pushed to her death from a third-floor window at Padelia Hotel by unidentified men.
August
Eight women, including a newborn baby, lost their lives. Among the victims was nine-year-old Runaisa Sadiq raped and killed by a pharmacy owner in Kano after her father brought her to him for malaria treatment.
September
Seven women were reportedly killed, including Oriyomi Gboyega, a 13-year-old girl, whose body was found with her wrists severed in the possession of an Islamic cleric.
October
At least 20 deaths were reported, including that of 24-year-old Priscilla Ocheme on October 21, who was found dead after visiting her male friend, Ekosuehi Elvis, also known as Richard.
The data shows that while police commands where the incidents occurred have apprehended some of the suspects, the majority of those responsible for these heinous crimes remain at large.
Ajayi explained that “unverified reports exceed the 133 verified incidents we currently have, and we are in the process of extensive verification, which may cause the current figure to increase by tomorrow (Thursday).”
She advocated for a law to prohibit, prevent, punish, and eradicate all forms of violence against women.
– The PUNCH.
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