The march was one of a number of activities planned by campaigners to raise awareness of sexual violence and urge politicians to set aside more money to tackle the issue and ensure police independence.

“Children are dying, women are dying, enough is enough,” said Dorothy Njemanze, one of the protest organisers.

Njemanze said she and other campaigners were “watching every step of everything they (politicians) say and do on sexual-based violence”.

Nigeria’s most senior policeman has ordered the immediate deployment of additional investigators to specialist gender violence desks, a Police Force statement said on Tuesday.

“This is to strengthen and enhance the capacity of the units to respond to increasing challenges of sexual assaults and domestic/gender-based violence linked with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and other social ills within the country,” it said.