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It is common practice for parents in Nigeria and Africa at large to resort to beating when trying to discipline or correct their children. These practices range from spanking to flogging or other forms of punishment.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), however, defined some of these practices as violence against children, whether it is perpetrated by parents or caregivers, peers, romantic partners, or strangers.
Rights groups and human rights think-tanks, including the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), have repeatedly advocated for other means to enforce discipline without using canes or any degrading torture tools on the children.
On Saturday, April 24, 2026, a video of a mother engaging in what appears to be a case of domestic violence against her child in the Ipaja area of Lagos State surfaced online. In the one-minute and 19-second clip, the mother is seen holding a knife while the child, visibly shaken, continues to cry for help.
The Lagos State government has since swung into action by arresting and remanding the woman who assaulted her 15-year-old daughter after the footage went viral.
Under the comment section of the post, a plethora of tweets called for an immediate end to domestic violence while asserting that it is dangerous.
For instance, @Prasantadekad wrote, “Domestic violence is dangerous.”
Another commenter, @Officialbultex, stated, “Arrest the woman cos attempt is a criminal offence too.”
@Ifeanyibitex asserted: “A tragic and disturbing case, highlighting the urgent need for stronger protection and intervention against domestic violence.”
DUBAWA decided to examine the legal position of domestic violence in Nigeria, specifically on the parent-child relationship, as calls for legal intervention heighten.
What does the law say?
DUBAWA checked the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) 2015 and found that its Section 2 clearly frowns against physical violence that causes harm, pain, or injury. This means a correction by a parent can lead to domestic violence under the Act.
Also, the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003 similarly prohibits subjecting a child to torture or degrading treatment, regardless of the intent to correct. The Act upholds the right of every child to dignity and protection from harm.
Enacted in 2003, the Act applies in several states across the country, including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, which have domesticated it.
Legal experts weigh in
Lawal Awwal, a lawyer, told DUBAWA that domestic violence in Nigeria is so broad that it includes child safety under parental care.
Making reference to Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution, Lawal said,
“It is unsafe to say parental discipline is not recognised in the Nigerian system, yet we must state here that it is not absolute because a thin line exists between what the law will consider as discipline and abuse.”
“Once it becomes harmful, excessive, or degrading, it can legally qualify as domestic violence or child abuse, and Nigerian laws provide clear protections for everyone against degrading treatment, including children,” Lawal added.
The constitutional provision cited by the legal expert, which guarantees the right to dignity of the human person, prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment against every citizen of Nigeria.
Another lawyer, Aisha Suleiman, said that the constitutional right, which encompasses child protection, can be interpreted to mean that parents should be allowed to use reasonable and moderate chastisement when dealing with their wards.
“However, whenever it exceeds this threshold of what a reasonable person would agree to as being fair and modest, the Nigerian law treats it as an offence and nothing else. This means that such an action of discipline, so-called, must not produce bodily injuries, lasting pain, or at least psychological harm,” Aisha said.
The lawyer warned that parents should desist from beating children, arguing that they could get sued as a result of it. She noted that both the country’s civil and criminal justice systems encapsulated various legal consequences for excessive maltreatment against a child that results in bodily harm.
“Under the VAPP Act, a parent who inflicts bodily harm on a child can be prosecuted, and the conviction may attract up to 3 years imprisonment, a fine, or both. Likewise, the Criminal Code counts grievous bodily harm as an offence, irrespective of the offender’s relationship to the victim,” she said.
Aside from this, Aisha noted that a guardian or next of kin to the victim of such treatment is also permitted to bring a civil action for damages against the offending parent.
Both lawyers stressed that while beating a child may be regarded as a cultural norm in the African culture, parents should know that the Nigerian laws value the adequate protection and safety of children in all forms.
Conclusion
DUBAWA’s research establishes that the Nigerian constitution prohibits inhumane treatment. As such, the act of beating a child to the extent of sustaining bodily harm or using a knife to inflict fear or force can result in legal actions.