Lagos Warns Husbands Against Forced Sex, Says Offenders Could Face Life Imprisonment
By Emmanuel Daniji
The Lagos State Government has warned married men against forcing their wives into sexual relations without consent, stressing that marriage does not give a husband the right to compel his wife to have sex.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Dr Babajide Martins, gave the warning on Tuesday during a press briefing in Lagos.
Martins spoke at a forum organised by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) to mark the commencement of the state’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
Responding to questions on whether a married woman could seek legal redress if her husband had sexual intercourse with her without her consent, the DPP said consent remained essential.
He explained that although federal law does not recognise forced sexual intercourse between spouses as marital rape, the applicable Lagos State criminal law provides for prosecution where a husband sexually assaults his wife.
According to Martins, such an offence could be prosecuted as sexual assault by penetration, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
He stressed that a husband cannot rely on the payment of bride price or the existence of a marriage to justify forcing his wife into sexual relations.
“Any man who feels that because he paid his wife’s dowry, nobody can challenge him for domestic violence, the wife should report such a man to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency,” Martins said.
Clarifying the position under Lagos State law, the DPP said a husband could face prosecution where his wife had expressly refused sexual intercourse and he proceeded to force himself on her.
“Once there is an issue between them and the wife refuses to have sex with him, the husband cannot force her. If the husband forces her and the wife reports him, we will not charge him for rape, but for sexual assault by penetration, and the punishment is life imprisonment,” he said.
Martins urged women experiencing domestic or sexual violence to report such incidents to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, stressing that complaints would enable relevant authorities to investigate and take appropriate legal action.
The warning comes as Lagos State intensifies public awareness around domestic and sexual violence and continues efforts to strengthen legal protection for victims and survivors.
