I am deeply concerned, not just by the deaths of five Lagos female political leaders which happened sequentially, but by the eerie silence and dissociation that followed it. Unlike so many other news and happenings some of which are not even irrelevant, the story of the Lagos 5 is not trending.

As I write this, the news of their demise seems to have barely made a ripple on the surface of public discourse with just some few reports and mentions on social media handles.

It is almost a week after the passing of the 5th woman. Still, there is no noise, no outrage, no hashtags. It looks so much as though their lives, their impact and contributions to the leadership, political space and conversation were insignificant, unworthy of the outrage and condemnation that would normally accompany such a tragedy.

I marvel at the way everyone just glosses over this immeasurable tragedy and move on with a ‘business as usual attitude’. Nigeria is at a time when female representation in leadership and political spaces has nosedived; yet there is no outrage for the seeming mysterious death of 5 elected female leaders within a span of six weeks.

• Oluwakemi Rufai was the elected councilor of Ward-C in Jebu Lekki. She died on the 13th of August 2025 just 2 weeks after being sworn into office.
• Zainab Shotayo was the councillor of Ward-C3, Odiolowo-Ojuwoye LCDA. She died just five days after Oluwakeni on August 18, 2025.
• Princess Oluremi Nutayi Ajose was Vice-Chairman of Badagry West LCDA. She died on September 20, 2025, just two months after being sworn into office.
• Basirat Oluwakemi Mayabikan was the councilor Ward-F in Shomolu LGA. She died on September 21, 2025 few weeks after assuming office.
• Adebimpe Akintola died on September 29th just barely 60 days after she assumed office as administrative head of Coker-Aguda Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Lagos state.

All 5 women were reported to have died after a brief illness. And they were quietly buried immediately according to Muslim burial rites.

We are in the midst of current advocacy, campaigns, demands and agitation for female leadership because Nigeria ranks terribly low in the global gender equality index even within the continent. And in the 27 years of Nigeria’s return to democratic rule, this is the time with the most abysmal percentage of female representation.

Yet, 5 female leaders mysteriously died days apart but there are no investigations, no enquiries, no autopsies. And on the part of US; the people, there is no outrage, no campaigns, no hashtags. Just SILENCE

It is only few days after the revelation of Lagos 5 female political leaders dying within days of each other; and all seem to be well with the world. You only hear about this national tragedy in whispers, mentioned in conversations or in one or two social media post.

The irony is that these women were not just any ordinary woman; they were political leaders, women who had taken the bold step to enter the political arena, often dominated by men. Women who had dared to brave the odds of campaigning, contesting and winning elections. But it is SILENCE that accompanied their mysterious demise.

Recently while in conversation with a friend from Lagos, she casually said ‘they were not cooked well’; sparingly, dismissively, passively. I was dumbfounded.

The Lagos 5 had faced, and braved the challenges, the scrutiny, and the criticism that comes with Nigerian politics, and being on the ballot. They were undoubtedly passionate about making a difference in their communities: bringing about change, and serving the people. Their deaths, under mysterious circumstances, raises and leaves more questions than answers.

Who were these women? What happened to them? What did they stand for? Why is their death mysteriously hushed? Why does their deaths not spark the outrage that would normally greet such a tragedy? Was it a coincidence, or was there something more sinister at play? The answers, much like justice, seem to be elusive.

Lagos prides itself on being the economic hub of Nigeria, where the pulse of politics and activism beats strong. Yet the lack of such reaction to the deaths of the Lagos 5 is not just disturbing but heartbreaking.
Beyond the circumstances of their deaths, what is even more troubling is the eerie silence that has greeted it.

Where is the outrage? Where are the protests? Where are the demands for justice? Where are the calls for accountability? Who is taking responsibility for this national tragedy?

It seems as though the lives of these women are considered as disposable or collateral damage. It is as though their contributions to society are not worthy of recognition or protection.

This silence is not just a reflection of the apathy that often characterizes our society; it’s a symptom of a deeper problem. It is a reflection of the systemic marginalization of women, particularly women in politics. It is a reflection of the fact that women’s lives are often seen as less valuable, less worthy of attention and protection.

The death of the Lagos 5 is a stark reminder of the dangers that women in politics face. They are often subjected to violence, intimidation, and harassment, all because they seek to provide democratic leadership.

To date, in most sectors, women are often forced to navigate a male-dominated world, where their voices are silenced, their contributions undervalued and overlooked; their safety at risk, their lives endangered. And this continues to persist.

Regardless, this is not just about women in politics. This is about the value we as a people place on human life. This is about the kind of society we want to build: – Is it a society that values justice, equality, and human rights or one that doesn’t? Do we desire to build a society that values the lives of its citizens, particularly its most vulnerable members or one that doesn’t?

The silence is deafening. But it is time for us to break it. It’s time for us to speak up and demand for justice. It is time for us to demand better because we deserve better. We owe it to the Lagos 5, we owe it to ourselves and to women yet unborn.

We must honor their memories by demanding justice. We must honor their legacies by fighting for a better future. We must use this tragedy to remind us of the countless women who have lost their lives in similar circumstances. Let it remind us of the countless women who have been silenced, marginalized, and oppressed. And let this remembrance lead us to demand urgent change.

We must demand for more than just change; we must demand justice for these women. We must demand accountability for their deaths. We must demand a society that values the lives of all its citizens, particularly women. We must demand a political system that protects and empowers women, rather than silence and marginalize them.

• Nigerian women demand justice for the Lagos 5, who died under mysterious circumstances. We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria  Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sawo-Olu to mandate an investigation into their deaths.
• We call on the first lady Federal Republic of Nigeria Sen. Oluremi Tinubu to stand with Nigerian women  in the call for accountability and transparency in the investigation of these deaths.
• We call on the support organizations that promote women’s empowerment and participation in politics; UN women, UN, UNDP, BHC, US Embassy and gender-friendly corporate organizations in our demand for accountability and transparency in investigating these deaths.

We call on all Nigerians to speak out against violence and the marginalization of women everywhere especially in leadership and politics spaces because it is only together that we can create a society that values the lives of all its citizens. It is only together that we can demand better.

Hawwah A. Gambo

Abuja Nigeria.