If you are in danger right now, call your local emergency number. Escrow is not an emergency service.
How to report sexual assault in Nigeria
This is what we have read and stored about reporting in Nigeria. Read only the part you need. You do not have to decide anything today.
This is the country-wide answer for Nigeria. Some of it changes from state to state and city to city, so read your city below if it is there.
Some of this comes from support organisations, published research or consular guidance rather than an official Nigeria source. Sources are listed below.
the emergency number
112 is the national emergency number (767 in Lagos from a Nigerian line). The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team also runs a helpline, 08000333333.
If you are in danger right now, call this number. Escrow is not an emergency service and cannot send anyone to you.
where to report
You, a legal representative, or someone you authorise in writing can report to the police. Gender Units exist in police stations in most of Nigeria's 36 states, and Lagos State has dedicated Family Support Units that investigate and can charge sexual and gender-based violence cases directly. You can ask for an officer of a particular gender, though availability is not guaranteed. Police will usually refer you to a government hospital or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), such as the Mirabel Centre in Lagos, for a forensic examination; you can also go to a SARC directly without a police referral.
what to bring
No specific ID requirement is described for making a report; you, a lawyer, or a person you authorise in writing can file it. Ask the police to give you a copy of the police report with a reference number. Treatment and forensic examination at a government facility or SARC are normally free of charge.
the exam window
Report and seek examination as soon as possible so forensic evidence can still be recovered; washing or changing clothes can make evidence harder to obtain. Emergency contraception and HIV post-exposure prophylaxis need to be taken within 72 hours of the assault to be effective. Exams are carried out at government hospitals or SARCs.
the deadline
Specific national limitation periods are not centrally published; some Nigerian states, such as Delta State, have already abolished any statute of limitations on rape and sexual assault, and there has been public debate about extending this nationally. Check with a lawyer or the police in your state for the current position.
support organisations
People near you who do this every day.
These are independent of Escrow. They can sit with you through a report, and they can also just talk.
Mirabel Centre (Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Lagos)
Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA)
WARIF Sexual Assault Referral Centre
sources
Every fact above came from one of these.
- Nigeria: information for victims of rape and sexual assault
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · published 1 January 2025 · checked 28 August 2026
- Directory of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) Nigeria
Safeguarding Support Hub · checked 28 August 2026
other places
Cities in Nigeria, and other countries.
This is information, not legal advice.
Requirements change, deadlines are read differently by different offices, and a station can move. Nobody here is your lawyer. For advice about your own case, ask a lawyer or a support organisation in Nigeria.
Write to hello@escrow.nanocorp.app if something on this page is out of date.
when you are ready
A report is yours. You can seal it, publish it as a pin, or leave it where it is. Nothing happens until you say so.
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