Re-Criminalise rape now

Your editorial (Daily Trust, Tuesday, June 9, 2020) leaves the impression that rape is not a crime in this country. I believe that it has always been a very serious crime abhorred by the Nigerian society. In fact, the Penal Code, applicable, if not in all parts of the country, simply makes adultery even between […]

Your editorial (Daily Trust, Tuesday, June 9, 2020) leaves the impression that rape is not a crime in this country.

I believe that it has always been a very serious crime abhorred by the Nigerian society. In fact, the Penal Code, applicable, if not in all parts of the country, simply makes adultery even between consenting adults a very serious crime that attracts severe penalties.

That is the reason why the attempt in the early 20s to apply Sharia all over the country met with such stiff opposition that led to its quiet death, even in Zamfara; where it was hatched.

I think we should search for the real reason and stop beating about the bush. The simple truth, which we are all reluctant to face, lies with the broken down justice system.

I have a very close relation who has dedicated herself to fighting this menace. In more than 20 years she has intervened, and not only rescued young girl children, but has been constantly in courts with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to allow justice take its course.

There is right an ongoing court case of the rape of a very young girl in the neighbourhood; having been raped by the security guard of the house she lives in. The case has been going on for about two years without progress. First, the police were very reluctant to get involved. Under pressure, an investigation was carried out.

In the two years the case has been in court, there has virtually been no progress. While the case is idling in the court, pressure, including financial inducements, continues to mount for the case to be abandoned.

Those who support the pressure to press on with prosecuting the case are now the society’s outcast.

There is no day that passes without disturbing new reports of one more crime of violence dominating the pages of daily newspapers and our television screen. As a society we have allowed these crimes to become endemic.

This social misfortune began to manifest in our university campuses more than three decades ago. We ignored the menace until we began to hear of the scandals of sex-for-marks. The same has spread to job-for-sex and sex-for-promotion. Sex in everything.

Sex scandal is a thing of shame. But the lives we lead, and the exposure we subject our children to through lack of family upbringing and their having to grow up as street children make it inevitable for us to harvest this result.

In Benin, we had this scandal in a place of worship. In Dutse, in the same week, we witnessed young adults gang-raping a very young girl. She may not have died, but her life is ruined. What crime is more heinous?

In the last few days we have witnessed the global reaction to the murder in the United States of a black man by the police. This has forced the American authorities to contemplate the fundamental review of their policing system; if not their legal system.

Our situation is more serious than that of the Americans. We should, for the good of all of us, immediately and urgently take necessary action to review both our policing and judicial systems to give some measure of justice for the ordinary citizen.

Before we go through the legal processes for making and amending laws, the president, the governors, the attorneys general, the chief justice and chief judges should come together to put interim measures to begin the fight against this endemic.

Even more urgent, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) should task his men to take citizens’ distress more seriously and act with all seriousness to wipe away their tears.

The courts should not be allowed to continue with their habit of recklessly adjourning cases without good reason. We should not allow the scandal of more than half the population in our prisons being “awaiting trial”. The courts must show that they believe in the dictum: “Justice delayed is justice denied”.

I wish to call on the press, the human rights organisations and the social media to join in this battle to “Save Our Women, Our Young Girls.”

 

Joda sent this piece from Yola, Adamawa State