Women groups and organisations including stakeholders have stoutly risen in support of greater punitive measures against perpetrators of rape in the country while also calling for other measures to protect women from potential rapists.
Women In Successful Careers, a non-governmental women group said that the whole country has been “severely shocked by the brutal rape and barbaric murder” of a University of Benin student, Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, adding that the fact that the attack took place in the vicinity of a church made it all the more disturbing.
The women group added that “This mindless brutality by yet unknown persons is a poignant reminder to all of us that we live in very dangerous times and recent events have been especially dire for women.”
Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, founder and chairperson of WISCAR who spoke on behalf of the group added that “what happened to Uwa highlights the high level of violence experienced by young women and girls on a daily basis,” noting that “We must also cry out at the seeming loss of respect for life. This also brings to mind the highly regrettable negligence that led to the death of Tina Ezekwe which was said to have resulted from a stray bullet.”
WISCAR, an NGO with a focus on strategic mentoring of young women for leadership, said it believes that “Every citizen should be given a chance to choose their own future and live in a safe, equitable and just world.”
In fighting the menace of rape, Oyagbola WISCAR chairperson called on individuals and NGOs to work with the government to develop dedicated national action plans to prevent and address violence against women, fortifying coordination among multiple actors required for sustainable action.
NCWC DG raises alarm
Similarly, the Director-General, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Mrs Mary Ekpere-Eta, has raised the alarm over cases of rape of women across the country while calling for prompt action from stakeholders to save womanhood from further disgrace.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja at the weekend, the DG called for improved and effective responses from the police, the judiciary, members of the victims’ families and community members in the bid to end the menace.
According to her, “aside from worrying data which shows that one in four girls and one in ten boys have experienced sexual violence before the age of 18, recent months have seen the media publishing reports of rape which in some cases the women were killed after being sexually assaulted.
“Recent cases like that of the University of Benin undergraduate, Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, Miss Barakat Bello of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan, both of whom were raped and killed, as well as a 12-year-old girl serially defiled by 11 men in Jigawa State amongst others come to mind.”
While demanding for a paradigm shift in how rape cases were being handled in the country, the DG said, “I call for improved and effective responses from the police, the judiciary, members of the victims’ families and community members.”
According to her, “providing support for victims is critical to encouraging them to be bold enough to report sexual assault. It is time to break the culture of silence around rape. Timely report of rape is critical to successfully prosecuting those who take pleasure in sexually assaulting women. Rapists shouldn’t be walking free targeting the next victim; they should be found, prosecuted and sent to jail.”
She, however, commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, for sending extra number of detectives to fish out the killers of the late Vera Uwaila Omozuwa and advised him to do same in the case of the late Barakat Bello.
“On a long term basis, I hope that the police will use part of the Police Trust Fund to equip the police to scientifically prove rape cases and also to train special units across police state commands to professionally handle rape cases.
Reps member apologises to Nigerian women over comments
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Insurance and Actuarial, Ahmadu Jaha on Saturday tendered a public apology to Nigerians for making unguarded statements against women during the debate on a motion on matter of urgent public importance on rape on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Jaha, member representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno State who spoke during a press briefing in Abuja, affirmed that he “made a mistake that has offended the sensibilities of fellow Nigerians and indeed, fellow human beings, particularly women who are our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.”
While reaffirming his position that “persons who commit acts of rape should be met with the highest punishment on earth, which is death and domestication of relevant laws such as Violence against Persons and Prohibition Act (VAPP) and other relevant laws against gender-based violence in the country,” Jaha argued that there is no justification for raping a woman no matter her choice of dressing.
“Unfortunately, I sincerely added another caution, saying, that women should cultivate the habit of proper and decent dressing to avoid unnecessary harassment from men who cannot control themselves. While I totally reaffirm my position that rapists should face death sentences, I regret the part that talks about the dressing of women.
“I deeply apologise for this position because as some have rightly argued, my added comment could imply that women who are victims, share the blame of being raped. This clearly, could not have been the intention of someone who suggested death penalty for rapists.
“I asked myself a question. If women refuse to be attracted to more revealing men who use the highways to ease themselves, why should any man force himself on a lady to exercise the right to choose what she wears? There is simply no justification. With women showing discipline, men must show more.
“As a man that has been happily married for more than 16 years and blessed with five children, including a daughter, I know that it is a divine responsibility for every good man to protect and preserve the pride of a woman. This is because women have less strength which accounts for the irresponsible ways they are raped by evil men.
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