Rape: Taming The Rising Trend

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The upsurge in rape cases across Nigeria has been the subject of frantic media coverage in recent times and considering the rising trend, it has become absolutely necessary that all stakeholders begin to discuss rape as a security threat, while seeking mitigating measures.
According to the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Umar Manko, not less than 132 rape incidents were in 2013, reported to the police in Lagos State alone. This represents an average of 11 cases per month and one case in every three days. He said there had been an increase from the?129 incidents of 2012 to 132 in 2013.
The Benin Central Hospital in Edo State reportedly recorded over 80 rape cases between March and October 2013. The Kano State Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Maliki Kuliya Umar said the state Ministry of Justice recorded 100 reported cases of rape between November and December 2013, noting that over 40 offenders had already been convicted.
A Study at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki found that out of a sample of 295 female students, 36.7% had experienced sexual harassment/victimization at least, once on campus and 32.4% of them had been raped.
The ugly trend is getting crazier and the motivation is as evil as the crime itself. Despite the growing incidents of rape across the country however, many cases have gone unreported due to series of factors that urgently need to be addressed.
One unfortunate thing about the crime of rape is that cultural constraints and other factors in this clime all work against female victims and restrain them from reporting the incident when it occurs. Therefore, an aggressive campaign is required to make victims see the need to report incidents when they occur so that offenders can be punished and deterrents can emerge. Besides, the Nigerian Criminal Code needs to make it easy to prove an allegation of rape. In other words, the rape laws of Nigeria need to be re-written to match contemporary realities.
There is also need for adequate sex education. Sexual lust is a thing of the mind and when the human mind is being fed with pornographic pictures and materials all the time, there is a tendency to get desperately lustful and commit this heinous crime. Therefore, it is important for people to begin to guard their thoughts as instructed by the holy books.
It may be difficult to regulate the porn market due to technological advancements. However, parents can monitor the activities of their children. Parents should also guide their daughters against indecent dressing to minimize the temptation of randy, and sometimes, insane men to rape them.
Apart from the influence of pornography, there are factors like vengeance, conflicts in relationship, influence of drugs, indiscipline, negative peer group influence and sheer wickedness which all contribute to rape.
Again, an idol mind is the devil?s workshop and over 20 million Nigerians are currently jobless. Deliberate measures are therefore, needed urgently to provide employment for the teeming population and reduce idleness.?In any case, it would be irrational, myopic and subjective to lay all blames of Nigeria?s numerous security challenges at the doorsteps of poverty and economy. It may not be wrong to say that a terrorist activity like rape has an insignificant level of connection with Nigeria?s economic problems. Rather, it is a mere act of wickedness and a manifestation of man?s inhumanity to fellow humans.
Most of the firearms used for rape are illegally obtained. This has made it very expedient for the federal government to urgently intensify efforts towards minimizing arms struggling and the proliferation of firearms.
It will also not be too much for government through legislation, to make provision for free and compulsory emergency health services, to be received by victims of rape in other to cushion the effects of this dastardly act.
By Albinus Chiedu, Public Affairs Analyst/CEO, Output Communications, 29, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos
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