Force Your Wife into Sex and Risk Life Imprisonment, Lagos Govt Warns Husbands

Lagos State government has warned husbands against having sex with their wives without mutual consent saying the action attracts a life imprisonment.

The warning was given on Monday by the Director of Public Prosecution, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Adebayo Harow, at a briefing to announce the  flag off the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness, DSVA, Month, September, 2026.

While responding to question on whether Nigerian law allows a married woman to sue her husband for rape for  having sex with her without her consent as it’s obtainable in other countries, Adebayo responded that while the law in Nigeria does not recognised such as as rape, it however categorised it as ‘Sexual Assault by Penetration and attracts a life imprisonment.

He noted that when couples are not in good terms and the husband forcefully have carnal knowledge of his wife without her consent, the wife has the right to sue the man for ‘sexual assault by penetration.’

“Any man that thought because he paid his wife’s dowry so nobody could challenge him for domestic violence, the wife should report such man to Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency. 

Under Lagos State criminal law, a man cannot be accused of  raping  his wife if they are together  and  are in good terms.

However, once there’s an issue between them and the wife refuses to have sex with him, the husband can not force her. If the husband forced her and the wife reported him, we will not charge him for rape but for sexual assault by penetration and the punishment is life improvement,” he said.