The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Thursday, charged Nigerian First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari to as a matter of urgency take the lead in advocating for a legislation to make rape a capital offence.
The umbrella body of students in the country also called on Mrs. Buhari to mobilise the wives of all the 36 state governors, female legislators, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Nigerians of good conscience to sponsor a bill that would make rape a capital offence.
The National Public Relation Officer of NANS, Comrade Azeez Adeyemi, who gave the charge while addressing journalists on this year Democracy Day celebration, lamented the incessant rape cases in the country and called for thorough investigations into the cases.
“Incidences of rape are fast assuming a threatening dimension that requires urgent intervention. Rape, like other forms of violence against women, is an infringement on women’s rights, privacy, self-preservation and dignity.
“In recent times the incidences of rape alongside murdering the victim is increasing at an alarming rate in Nigeria. Majority of these victims were University undergraduate.
“The leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) wishes to use this opportunity to condemn in its entirety Rape and any form violence against women.
“The painful experience of the past few weeks has highlighted several new facts that we wish to raise on these horrendous crimes and what they mean to us as Students leaders, human rights activist, who are also part of various revolutionary movements that describe themselves as supportive of women’s issues.
“We hereby call for immediate uncompromised investigations of these incidences of rape to determine the actual cause of its recent upsurge across the country where most of the victims were murdered.”
“We call on our security agencies to be up and doing to unravel those behind these inhuman acts and brought them to book to serve as deterrent to others. Nigerians are restless to know those behind this wickedness.
“Any attempt to sweep or cover-up the circumstances behind these recurrent incidences of rape and Murdered across the country will be met by mass action by Nigerian Students”, NANS said.
