Perhaps for the first time in Nigeria, women are scared of leaving their homes in the dark; leaving their daughters with their husbands; taking a walk with men or even visiting male friends because of the resurgence of rape incidents against them; PAUL OKAH reports.
This is not the best of times for the female folk in Nigeria as, more than before, they now live in fear of being raped or sexually harassed by the opposite sex either at home, on the street or in their places of work.
Recently, the media has been awash with news of rapists or sex predators taking advantage of the “weaker sex” appellation of women to attack, maim, rape or murder them in the church, street, home or offices.
Alarmingly, some of the despicable sex predators have taken the “adventure” to the “next level” by leaving “young, fresh, fertile and succulent” ladies alone to “feast” on the private parts of sleeping octogenarians in different parts of the country.
Even constant arrests by the police, protests by women, sensitisation by experts seems not to deter the rapists as news of the rape of even month-old babies by their parents is now a daily occurrence.
Student raped, murdered
On May 27, just as Nigerians were celebrating the 2020 Children’s’ Day, a 22-year-old 100-level Microbiology student of the University of Benin (UniBen), Miss Vera Uwaila, was beaten to a pulp and gang-raped while reading at the Ikpoba Hill branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), in Benin City, Edo state, and lated died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) on May 30, from injuries sustained after being hit with a fire extinguisher by the rapists.
Vera’s death sparked protests across the country, especially on social media, leading to condemnations from individuals and organisations who demanded justice on her behalf and the Justice4Uwa hashtag trending on the internet.
In a statement, the special adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state on media and communication strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the governor had mandated the police and other relevant security agencies to fish out the culprits who perpetrated the dastardly act and bring them to justice, adding that the state government would ensure that the full weight of the law runs its course and that the Violence Against Persons, (VAP) law and other such laws related to rape and sexual abuse are exploited to get justice for the deceased.
“The governor is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa. We have been in consultation with the Edo state Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and have mandated thorough investigation of the matter to ensure that those who are responsible for this heinous crime are brought to justice,” he said.
Children not spared
Almost on a daily basis, innocent children as young as two-month old or less than a year are raped by either their fathers, caregivers, neighbours or total strangers, sometimes even to death.
In fact, for raping a baby that was two years nine-month-old to death, a Kaduna state High Court sitting at Dogarawa Sabon Gari Zaria on June 3, convicted one Usman Shehu Bashir of Dogarawa area to death by hanging.
While delivering judgment, Justice Kabir Dabo said the judgment passed was under section 221 of the penal code, Kaduna state law 1999 as amended.
“The convict has confessed the occurrence of the offence, as well, his written statements also confirmed. By these two confessional statements, the Court passed the judgment,” the judge said.
The case began on 23 March 23, 2015, and lasted for five years.
“On that fateful day, the convict took late Fatima to his room, and for about 40 minutes, he raped her which led to her death….after the establishment of all the evidence of committing the crime.”
After passing the judgement, Justice Kabir Dabo said the convict has the right to appeal within 90 days of the judgment. In her reaction, the state counsel, Barrister Jummai Dan Azimi, said the court has done justice to the case.
Father of late Fatima, Malam Zakariya Ya’u Dahiru said the judgment passed on Usman has justified what he did to his daughter.
Grandmothers not left out
The situation would have been “understandable” had the rapists continued the “adventure” with young ladies, but the recent attack on and rape of septuagenarians and even octogenarians has left many nonplussed.
CSOs protest, demand state of emergency
On Friday, June 5, a human rights and social justice nongovernmental organisation, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), joined other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to take Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria protest to the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.
In an address by its country director, Ene Obi, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, AAN called on the leadership of the Nigerian Police for prompt investigation, prosecution, and conclusion of all rape, sexual and gender-based violence cases in Nigeria, which it indicated was led by TechherNG in collaboration with Girl Child Africa, Connected Development, Enough is Enough Nigeria, Stand to End Rape, SilvercChipfox, Yiaga Africa, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, and Education as a Vaccine.
According to Ene, the call for action was necessitated by a recent increase in reported cases of rape and killings of women and girls, especially between May and June 2020.
She said, “From January to date, 80 cases of violence against women and girls have been reported in the media, and this past week has served as a deadly reminder that Nigerian women and girls are not safe.
“Gender-based Violence is no longer a women issue but a national issue. As a community rooted organisation, we have documented cases on men violating their own daughters and we attest to the fact that this list is not exhaustive as more cases are reported almost on a daily basis and we worry for the safety of Nigerian girls and women as even our grandmothers are not spared.
“The situation has degenerated to the point that security operatives, who are meant to protect, are also threatening to rape and kill women and girls in the face of conflict. We urge the Presidency to declare a state of emergency on gender-based violence, as this is the time to take concrete actions before Nigeria comatose into a state of anarchy where women and girls are left to wallow in hopelessness. Women and girls need more than promises.
“Without a strong state response, incidences of sexual and gender-based violence including rape and murder will continue to increase. Declaring the State of Emergency will show that the governments at National, State, and Local levels are prioritising the rights and welfare of women and girls during this crucial period.”
Also speaking, the convener, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution (CDNDC), Ariyo-Dare Atoye, “I support the current cause, which is just not current but has been ongoing by a community of activists who believe that we should fight and combat the issue of rape which has become a national calamity, pandemic, and epidemic, and therefore if we do not fight it our mothers, wives, daughters, family members are going to be victims.
“Therefore, we believe that it is not just of us gathering here, my demand will be very simple; we must have a national protocol to secure our women and girls from rape. The federal and state governments, National Assembly members, CSOs, the media, and every concerned Nigerian we must all sit to put in place a national protocol, community protocol on how to secure our girls and women.
“Therefore, we believe that it is a collective responsibility to fight the incidence of rape. Let me say this for the last time, any man that cannot hold himself cut it off if you cannot restrain your manhood cut off. It is as serious as that to cut off your manhood because we have to protect our women, girls, ourselves and society.”
NAPTIP’s intervention
On June 4, worried by the ugly trend, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) urged Nigerians to report cases of rape within their vicinity to the agency or the nearest police station.
The Agency’s director-general, Mrs. Julie Okah-Donli, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said both old and present cases should be reported to the Agency for action.
According to her, reporting the case of rape is the only way the trend can be stopped in the society, as the agency will not compromise its work for anything if such case is reported to it.
She said a sex offender register had already been opened in the agency where the names of rape perpetrators were documented for further actions and appealed to the media to assist in creating more awareness about this trend to put the perpetrators on alert.
“Rapists are now getting away with their illicit acts along with murder. These cases of domestic servitude are cases that take place behind closed doors. Our job in NAPTIP is to protect Nigerian men and women. We are not going to compromise our work if they report such cases; we will ensure justice is done.
“Rape cases are not reported because of stigmatisation of the victims and this makes the cases to rise. Very soon, the name of rapists will be published with their pictures in the media,” she said.
IGP’s assurances
On June 5, while receiving protesting but peaceful members of CSOs clad in black with placards with several inscriptions at Force Headquarters, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, represented by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, assured leaders of the CSOs that the police were with them in the fight against rape and all forms of gender-based violence.
Adamu said the police understand the motions, rationale, pains, and frustrations driving the protest staged at its headquarters, tasking Nigerians and CSOs on ending the conspiracy of silence, connivance, cowardice, maintaining every crime scene in its purest, contaminated and pristine form, and educate citizens.
He said, “It means every police officer you see in Nigeria today is either a father, mother, daughter, son, grandson, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, the implication is simple that every one of us got a sister, a woman in our lives, daughter and mother and we will not want any of them to be sexually abused, molested or to be raped.
“I want to reassure you that under the leadership of the current IGP, we will work with the country, citizens, lawmakers, activists, and the other components of the criminal justice system to fight rape and fight it to stand still. The conspiracy of silence is largely driven largely by the fact that the majority of rape incidences in our homes, churches, offices, within the political circles, schools are never reported.
“On our part as law enforcement agents, we must continue to build the capacity of our policemen, a generation of police officers who can empathise with our women, show tact, understanding, and work with victims’ families, activists, and other positive citizens to combat rape.”
