Whatever happened to naming and shaming?
His co-accused, former inspector Yusuf Ibrahim, also bagged 28 years for the same offence. He was found guilty on the three count –charge of abduction, conspiracy and rape. He is to pay a total fine of N350,000. The third convict is Mahmuda Muhammad, and he will be spending the next seven years of his life […]
His co-accused, former inspector Yusuf Ibrahim, also bagged 28 years for the same offence. He was found guilty on the three count –charge of abduction, conspiracy and rape. He is to pay a total fine of N350,000. The third convict is Mahmuda Muhammad, and he will be spending the next seven years of his life in jail for rape. Most of us following this case with interest have heaved sighs of relief that justice had at last been done for the teenager whose life has been traumatised by this unfortunate experience.
But her family is still crying foul. They say the punishment is too mild for the offence. And one can’t blame them because no amount of punishment can undo what has been done to their daughter, it is a scar she will carry for the rest of her life. But even more amazing to me, is the deliberate attempt to protect this criminal gang. Throughout the trial and even when judgement was passed, there was no picture anywhere of the men who committed this crime. I was shocked to see that when a photo finally emerged it was that of the victim, not the perpetrators. Who are we trying to protect here? I don’t know on whose instruction these rapists are being kept off public glare, but whoever is offering them this protection should know that he is serving the wrong side.
I mean these were three policemen who, while on duty stopped a motorcycle rider and his passenger at 9pm and ordered her to disembark. After a little questioning they reportedly asked the bike rider to go while they ordered the young lady to remain behind. Subsequently she was taken to their hideout at Kwalli quarters in Kano city. For the next three weeks this young lady was a virtual sex-slave, catering to the animalistic needs of three adult men. What is there in these three men, who abused the privilege of their uniform and respected office, who desecrated the chastity of a minor that entitles them to public protection? Who is worried about them being recognised in future?
Well whoever it is that is so concerned about protecting these rapists should know that a leopard can’t change its spots, these guys can strike again given half the chance. The man who is spending only 7 years in prison can be out in no time. And because of his police background can end up being a security man to any unsuspecting family. If his rapist tendencies should overcome him on duty post, he can turn to the girls in the household and it will be too late by the time he is found out.
Another reason people like this should be given maximum exposure is also to have it serve as a deterrent to others. Whoever knows that exposure before the world awaits him, apart from conviction, will think twice about being so criminally-minded. Complete naming and shaming is what will deter aspiring criminals not some abstract jail term which will mean nothing to the person not directly affected by it. This was the thought that came to my mind when I recently saw a picture of the pension fund looters currently standing trial at the Abuja High court. I could not believe that people who had the audacity to allegedly steal 33 billion naira police pension funds care what people think about them. But there they were in broad day light trying hard to hide their faces from the glare of photo-journalists.
In developed countries of the world both suspects and convicts are splashed on pages of newspapers and magazines as well as shown on TV screens for maximum effect. If one is able to prove his innocence he is celebrated the same way and if not, then at least the world now knows him for what he is, a rapist; a fraudster or a murderer. Why can’t we do the same here? It really does not help us to protect our villains. That does not only send the wrong message to potential criminals it also enables these people to reintegrate into the society once their prison terms are over and possibly continue in their old ways because no one recognises them enough to detest them.
This pension fund looters for instance, might end up with prison terms if found guilty by the court, but without sufficient naming and shaming, their case is unlikely to have a lasting effect on others. This is because by the time they are through with their jail terms they will come back to their ill-gotten wealth and live the rest of their lives in comfort. They can join politics, where money is the key determinant of success and end up in an elective office. They can go to any family seeking their daughter’s hand in marriage and no one will think twice about giving them her hand, because there wasn’t sufficient exposure to make sure the world holds them in contempt. This is the danger we face today as we continue to shield our villains from the public.
I remember that as a small girl, any house in our vicinity with a scandal in their history was well-known to the rest of the community. There are houses you don’t casually walk in front of, you break into a sprint when you pass by them, because certain skeletons are supposed to be lurking in their cupboards and you don’t want to be a part of that. Such odious family histories used to be so potent that the sins of a grandfather can actually be visited on his innocent grandchildren. Here I recall the case of a particular wedding that was called off because the bride’s grandfather was once involved in a major scandal of which the whole community was aware. But today we gloss over such things because we consider them people’s private affairs. And the result is what we see all around us, corruption, juvenile- delinquency, abuse of office, robbery and even sorcery.
The only way to prevent a repeat of the unfortunate fate that befell that Kano teenager is to make sure that we expose her rapists to the full. We must win them complete public condemnation. All other criminals should be treated the same way in future, by naming, shaming and having their pictures published in every available medium. Hopefully this might help curb the rise in such social vices which leave their victims traumatised for life.