Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has called for vigorous enforcement of the law in prosecuting offenders among other drastic measures to address rising cases of rape across the country.
Addressing a webinar organised by the Movement Against Rape and Sexual Violence (MARS-V) on Saturday, the governor, while citing Kaduna state laws, said rapists should get life imprisonment for the rape of minors and 21 years for the rape of adults.
He however called for the training of victims and law enforcement officers on preservation of evidence for successful prosecution of rape cases.
El-Rufai listed fear of stigmatisation, breakdown of the judicial system and lack of quality investigation as some of the factors hindering prosecution of cases of rape and Gender Based Violence (GBV).
According to the governor, “There a seeming conspiracy of silence by traditional and religious leaders, where society as a whole insists on covering up cases of rape. Parents cover up rape cases for fear of stigma. There is a need for mothers to sensitize their male children from childhood on the need to respect women.
‘’One of the primary challenges faced in the fight against gender based violence is the breakdown in the judicial process, which results in delay in justice being served, as a result of corruption, personal beliefs and laxity of some judges. Most of those charged with the investigation of gender based violence are not well trained, and can be easily compromised through corruption and incompetence.
“Victims should also be sensitized on the importance of keeping evidence, to ensure that perpetrators of such heinous acts are brought to justice. Rape is a criminal offence that needs to be proven beyond reasonable doubt but there is often no preservation of evidence after rape, either by the victims or by officials put in charge of investigating such cases.’’
El-Rufai said Kaduna state has put measures in place to fight against rape and GBV as one of the few states to have domesticated the Child Rights Act. Kaduna state enacted the Child Welfare and Protection Law in February 2018 under which girls are not allowed to get married until they complete their secondary school education, which in essence means marriages can’t happen until the age of 18.
Kaduna state has also passed the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which will help to speed up the trial of criminal matters, and established four sexual assault referral centers for medical and psychological counselling.
The wife of the governor, Hajiya Aisha-Ummi Garba El-Rufai, who was one of the panelists, called for more stringent laws against rape to deter rapists, who are becoming violent, from destroying the lives of victims.
She called for joint action between government and non-governmental organisation to ensure full implementation of anti-rape laws. Aisha urged parents to speak out when their children are raped and not cover up the crime.
Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, who lamented that rape epidemic has existed for long in Nigeria with women and girls most affected by GBV, noted that only 10% of rape cases were reported.
She called for girl child education, database on gender based violence and collaboration between governmental agencies and NGOs in tacking rape cases and other Gender Based Violence.
