LAGOS — The Lagos State Government has warned husbands against forcing their wives to have sexual intercourse without their consent, saying offenders could face life imprisonment if convicted.
The warning was issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Haroun Adebayo, during a media parley organised by the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, to mark the commencement of the agency’s Awareness Month for September 2026.
The event was held in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Responding to questions on whether a married woman can report or sue her husband for rape for having sex with her without her consent, as is the case in some jurisdictions, Adebayo explained that Lagos State law does not classify the offence as rape where the parties are married.
He, however, said forced sexual intercourse within a troubled marriage could constitute sexual assault by penetration, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under Lagos State law.
According to the DPP, marriage does not give a husband the right to force his wife to have sex against her will.
He explained that where a couple is experiencing marital difficulties and the wife refuses sexual intercourse, the husband cannot lawfully use force to have sex with 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,” Adebayo said.
He also warned men against assuming that payment of bride price or dowry gives them unrestricted rights over their wives.
“Any man who thinks that because he paid his wife’s dowry, nobody can challenge him over domestic violence should report such a man to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency,” he said.
Adebayo further noted that under the Lagos State Criminal Law, a husband would not ordinarily be accused of rape in circumstances where the couple is living together and their relationship is consensual.
However, he stressed that once a wife withdraws her consent, her husband cannot use force to obtain sexual intercourse.
The warning comes as the Lagos State DSVA begins its September 2026 Awareness Month campaign aimed at increasing public awareness and strengthening the response to domestic and sexual violence across the state.
