Ikorodu’s streets turned into corridors of advocacy as the Gnosis Help Initiative led a sweeping awareness rally against domestic violence and child sexual abuse under the banner Ìkòròdú È Dìde (Ikorodu, stand up). The campaign moved from the Ikorodu Garage Roundabout through the Magistrate Court axis, past the palace of Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, Adegorushen V, Ayangbure of Ikorodu Kingdom and across key commercial hubs including Agric Bus Stop, the Ikorodu West LCDA gate and the Odongunyan area.
Designed to cut through centers of commerce, justice and traditional authority, the rally delivered a pointed message that abuse is not a private family matter but a community crisis requiring collective responsibility.
Barrister Olumide Kayode Omosebi, founder of the Gnosis Help Initiative, said the organization was created to support victims through structured intervention and advocacy, noting that rising cases in Ikorodu demand urgent action. He warned that when offenders face no consequences, violence festers and can escalate into femicide, while children raised in abusive homes risk carrying trauma into the next generation. He identified traditional and religious pressures, fear of police bias and a culture of silence as barriers to reporting, stressing that the campaign seeks to ensure victims access counseling, rescue services and legal remedies. Maureen Bolowotan, Chairperson of the FIDA Ikorodu branch, described the area as highly prone to abuse cases and said inter-agency collaboration expands coverage and grassroots access to justice.
Traditional leaders Ba’ale Olukayode Olomu of Ojogbe and Ba’ale Adeyemi Banjoko of Igbodu emphasized that domestic violence fuels communal instability and must be addressed early. Oluwakemi Bello of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency outlined the agency’s provision of medical, legal and psychological support, strengthened through NGO partnerships. Olajide Abiodun, Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikorodu branch, highlighted its’ longstanding legal clinic, sensitization programs and monitoring of police stations to protect minors. Representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, including the Family Support Unit of the Owutu Division, reaffirmed their commitment to prompt response and prosecution, urging residents to report cases without fear.
Across the division, the refrain Ikorodu È Dìde echoed as both slogan and civic call, that accountability is collective and silence is no longer an option.
