Source: Vanguard
Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, has said domestic violence against women accounted for most deaths recorded in the state, promising that the state government was ready to do all within its power to eradicate every form of violence against women and girls.

The Deputy Governor also stressed the need for coordinated efforts by all stakeholders in the state to ensure the full implementation and enforcement of the Lagos State law against domestic violence.

She spoke at a seminar organised by Women Empowerment and Legal Aid initiative, WELA, at the Social Justice Centre, Lagos.

Meanwhile, National Coordinator of WELA, Mrs. Funmi Falana, said the Nigeria Police had been the greatest challenge to the implementation of the law against domestic violence in the state.

Represented by Mrs. Risikat Akiyode, a Permanent Secretary in the Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry, Adefulire said an estimated 1.3 million women have been recorded to be victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.

According to her, 85 per cent of domestic violence victims are women, while historically, females have been most victimized by someone they knew.

• Nigeria