Nigerian stakeholders urge women to report online violence

Stakeholders at a workshop in Ilorin, Kwara State, have urged women and girls to report technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) rather than remaining silent due to fear, stigma, or social pressure.

The event, organized by the Webfala Digital Skills for All Initiative, highlighted how online violence can undermine women's participation in the 2027 general elections. SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Kwara State Command, emphasized that "digital safety is personal safety because violence no longer requires physical contact."

Ejire-Adeyemi noted that victims often fear being judged or disbelieved, which emboldens perpetrators. She encouraged victims to preserve digital evidence, such as messages, and assured that the Nigeria Police Force would continue to investigate cyber-enabled crimes. Existing legal frameworks, including the Cybercrimes Act and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, were cited as tools available to protect women from online abuse.