Lagos State warns husbands against non-consensual sex

The Lagos State government has issued a warning to husbands regarding non-consensual sexual intercourse with their wives. During a briefing to launch the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness (DSVA) month, Adebayo Harow, the Director of Public Prosecution for the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, stated that forcing sexual intercourse without mutual consent is a punishable offense.

While Harow clarified that Nigerian law does not categorize such acts as rape, they are classified under Lagos State criminal law as ‘sexual assault by penetration.’ This charge carries a penalty of life imprisonment. He noted that while a husband cannot be accused of rape if the couple is in a functional relationship, if a wife refuses consent due to marital issues and the husband uses force, the wife has the legal right to sue.

Harow encouraged victims of domestic violence to report such incidents to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, emphasizing that paying a dowry does not grant immunity from laws against domestic violence.