Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo III, has called for moral reorientation and stronger community leadership to curb violence against women and girls.
Oba Gbadebo spoke at Nigeria’s Sixth Men-Only Townhall Meeting at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, with the theme: “A Cultural Roadmap to Ending Violence against Women and Girls,” which focused on cultural accountability, community responsibility and the role of men in ending gender-based violence.
Represented by Bobagunwa of Egbaland, Toye Okanlawon, the monarch described the situation as “appaulling” and long overdue for decisive action.
“This kind of engagement is long overdue. When you look at what our girls, our sisters and daughters are going through today, the situation is alarming,” he said.
He said the rising cases of gender-based violence reflected a breakdown of values within families and communities.
“When a father beats his wife or a wife abuses her husband, what example are we setting for the children? They grow up to replicate what they see,” he said.
Oba Gbadebo stressed that, efforts to curb GBV must begin from the home, noting that children raised in violent environments are more likely to normalise abuse.
The monarch added that the failure to instill discipline and balance in parenting, particularly in raising male children, contributes to the persistence of harmful behaviours.
“We must raise our sons with the same sense of accountability and discipline as our daughters. When there is no balance, society pays the price,” he said.
He urged traditional rulers and community leaders to take responsibility for dismantling harmful norms that enable abuse, particularly practices that silence victims or shield perpetrators.
“Custodians of culture must take a stand. What is wrong is wrong, and it must not be tolerated in any community,” he said.
Chairman of the occasion, Actor and Production manager Yemi Sodimu, described the initiative as a response to a “national problem” requiring urgent and collective action.
He stressed that communities must take ownership of the fight against GBV, noting that the South-West, particularly Lagos and Ogun states, has remained at the forefront of social change. “What is bad is bad; it has no two ways,” he said.
He warned that failure to act would leave a damaging legacy for future generations, stressing the need to prioritise the protection and development of girls.
Citing data presented at the meeting, Sodimu said Ogun State records an average of 41 domestic violence cases daily—about 15,000 annually.
He added that Lagos documented 8,692 cases of sexual and domestic violence between August 2024 and July 2025.
“One in three girls in Ogun is likely to experience sexual abuse before age 18,” he said, noting that victims in Lagos include children as young as 18 months.
Also speaking, Founder and Executive Director of The Gnosis Help Initiative, Barrister Olumide Omosebi said GBV cases in Lagos rose from 3,943 in 2020 to over 8,600 within 11 months in 2024—an average of 28 cases daily.
He noted that about 86 per cent of sexually abused children are familiar with their abusers, often relatives or family members.
“Children are now more likely to be abused within their own homes than outside,” he said.
Omosebi identified harmful cultural practices such as “settlement culture” as major enablers of abuse, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
He urged traditional rulers to discourage out-of-court settlements and ensure offenders are held accountable.
“The only way forward is for custodians of culture to reject harmful practices and ensure justice is served,” he said.
Punch/Adetutu Adetule
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