Foundation calls for end to growing femicide rate in Nigeria

A non-profit organisation (NGO), the FAME Foundation, has called for an end to the growing trend of femicide in Nigeria. Femicide is the act of killing a woman by a domestic partner or a member of a criminal enterprise.

Briefing the press on Monday in Abuja, the Executive Director of FAME Foundation, Aderonke Atoyebi, called on the government, civil society organizations, religious bodies, and traditional and community leaders to unite in the fight against femicide.

According to Atoyebi, the girl-child, young female adults, and young women have become endangered species in Nigeria, adding that femicide has become a pandemic and a state of emergency that urgently needs to be tackled.

She said the situation is gaining ground in Nigeria due to societal stigma, fear of retaliation, and the shame experienced by the victims’ families, which often results in most cases going unreported. She listed the murders of Damilola, Christiana Idowu, and Justina Nkang, among others, as growing cases of femicide in recent times.

The FAME boss, however, called for the need to strengthen and enforce existing laws that address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), stating that perpetrators of femicide must face the full wrath of the law.

“The girl-child, young women, and young female adults are endangered in Nigeria. Femicide has become a pandemic, and a state of emergency needs to be declared on this often-overlooked issue. Victim-blaming must end.

“Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls because they are female, is a serious crime that is on the rise in Nigeria. It often stems from ongoing patterns of violence against women, driven by deep-rooted beliefs that men should have control over women.

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“Globally, femicide is seen as a violation of human rights, with the United Nations reporting that more than 89,000 women and girls were killed in 2022 and 2023. In a 2022 report alone, it was stated that at least 401 women died from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Nigeria.

“In Nigeria, femicide is often concealed due to societal stigma, fear of retaliation, or shame experienced by the victims’ families. Many cases go unreported, leaving families devastated and perpetuating a culture of silence. The imbalance of power between men and women fuels this violence, with men feeling entitled to control women, even if it means taking their lives.

“The situation is now critical. The Federal Government reports that Nigeria recorded 27,698 SGBV cases in the last three years. Paul Jeremiah, a 20-year-old undergraduate, was arrested by the Kogi State Police Command for kidnapping and murdering Damilola, a 19-year-old first-year student at the Federal University of Lafia. After demanding a ransom of N10 million, Jeremiah and his accomplices accepted N400,000 but decided to kill and mutilate her when dissatisfied with the sum.

“Ayomide Adeleye, a 200-level Philosophy student, confessed to the murder of Christianah Idowu, a 300-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). Christianah had been missing for two weeks, and her body was only discovered after Adeleye confessed to the 174 Battalion of the Nigerian Army.

“Justina Nkang was murdered and dismembered by her boyfriend, Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level student of Petrochemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt. The deceased was a 300-level undergraduate student. There has been no justice to date.

“Celine Ndudim and Afiba Tandoh vanished after visiting one Andrew Amaechi; they remain missing to date. Later on, the decomposed body of a young woman without a head, hands, or legs, suspected to belong to one of the deceased, was discovered. The girls have yet to be found, and the suspect was reportedly ‘shot dead.’ The girls were last seen at Amaechi’s residence in Abia State.

“A man’s alleged plot to use a woman for rituals was disrupted after her cries alerted staff in a hotel in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. A video seen on social media showed the girl’s hands and legs tied by the perpetrator. These cases are just a few examples of what has happened this year alone and reflect a growing pattern of gender-based violence and femicide that is becoming more frequent.

“We need to strengthen existing laws that address SGBV and ensure their enforcement. Perpetrators of femicide must face swift and adequate punishment to deter future crimes. It is critical to break the silence surrounding femicide.

“Public education programs that dismantle harmful gender stereotypes and promote gender equality can help reduce this culture of violence. Engaging men and boys in conversations about gender equality and non-violence is important in changing the harmful gender norms that perpetuate femicide,” she concluded.