Report Indicates 197 Women and Girls Killed Due to Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria in 2025

In 2025, more than 197 women and girls in Nigeria lost their lives as a result of gender-based violence, according to a femicide report published by the DOHS Cares Foundation. This information was made available through the foundation's dashboard, which collects data on suspected cases of femicide throughout the country.

The 2025 statistics indicate a stark increase from the previous year, 2024, when 133 women and girls were reported to have died from gender-based violence.

UN Women defines femicide as the deliberate killing of women and girls solely based on their gender, which differentiates it from homicide where gender may not be a contributing factor.

The report from DOHS Cares Foundation recorded 172 suspected femicide cases that culminated in the deaths of 197 individuals during the examined period.

"With 172 documented femicide cases and 197 fatalities in 2025, and with numbers still rising, it is evident that femicide in Nigeria has reached a pandemic level—a crisis escalating without effective intervention," the report indicated.

The higher death count compared to reported cases reflects instances where multiple fatalities were involved, as noted by the foundation.

Several highlighted cases in the report underscore the severe nature of the violence involved. In one incident from November, 19-year-old Loveth Uloma was allegedly murdered by her 51-year-old uncle, Emmanuel Nwangwu, after enduring years of supposed sexual abuse.

In another case from December, 35-year-old Rifkatu Yohanna was discovered deceased in her home in Borno State, suffering from severe cuts to her neck and body. The alleged perpetrator, her 17-year-old neighbor, Aliyas Amir, claimed that he attacked her during a theft attempt.

Kwara State witnessed a distressing case where Opeyemi Bello, a receptionist at Femdak Hotel, was reportedly strangled to death at her job. The accused, Yusuf Ibrahim, a former employee, was seen scaling the hotel’s fence while Bello was heard calling for help.

An additional case noted involved the murder of a woman named Edwolo, found stabbed in a hotel room in Delta State in October. The hotel's owner, Isaiah Eyone, informed authorities that he discovered her body upon returning to the premises the next morning.

In Lagos State, Temitope Odu was allegedly strangled by her husband, Christopher Odu, following a prolonged history of domestic abuse. Reports suggest that their son testified to witnessing his father’s violence against his mother for over twenty years.

Responding to these findings, Ajayi commented, "Femicide in Nigeria is a national emergency, not just isolated acts of violence."

"Our Femicide Observatory indicates that every 49 hours, a woman or girl is murdered merely for being female—predominantly by acquaintances or trusted individuals," she continued.

"These fatalities could be avoided, but systemic failures, accountability deficiencies, and silence have allowed the situation to persist. Nigeria must urgently establish clear legal frameworks for femicide, implement a national monitoring system, and take concrete measures to safeguard women’s rights."

A report by United Women released in November 2025 characterized gender- related killings as "the most severe and extreme form of violence against women and girls."

Moreover, a collaborative study by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women, launched on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, issued a warning that femicide "displays no indications of a slowdown."

Although there is currently no specific law in Nigeria that criminalizes femicide, public outcry over such killings has intensified, resulting in renewed calls for legal reforms and proactive measures to prevent violence directed at women and girls.