Rape -By Martha Zamdai Mamza

Rape according to Merriam-Webster is unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against a person’s will or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception. According to the Penal cord section 282(1) defines rape in the following term’s: A, against her will. B, without her consent. C, with her consent when her consent have been obtained by putting her in fear of death or of hurt. D, with her consent when the man knows that he is not her husband and they her consent is giving because she believes he is another man to whom she is or she believes herself to be lawfully married. E, with or without her consent when she is under 14years of age or of unsound mind.

Taking Nigeria as a case study, North has the highest rate of rape cases and in the north, Kano state to be precise. However, In Nigeria, the media continues to play a key role in tracking rape cases where reporting of rape to the authorities remains low.

In a recent study, the rate of rape cases in the country was examined. To do the study, two national newspapers (The Punch and The Sun) were used. 331 cases of rape were reported by these national newspapers.

According to research, it is revealed that over 90% of reported rape victims were females. And 99% of the rapists were male. A third of the female victims were aged between 1 and 10; those between 11 and 20 years constituted 46.1% of the victims and victims aged 21-30 made up 8.4%. It is also found out that rapists were mainly people that victims knew, such as fathers, neighbours, clergymen and relatives. Very few were total strangers.

The findings showed that the younger females were more susceptible to rape than the older females. Victims between ages 11 and 20 were the most sexually abused. They represented about 46% of the total victims of reported rape for the past five years by the two newspapers. As teenagers are the most represented of this range, this indicates that teenagers are more prone to being raped than any other age category in Nigeria.

Age is also a factor in the profile of perpetrators. Young men aged between 18 and 35 years constituted 43.5% of the rapists. Those between 36 and 55 years constituted 32% of the offenders.

Possible means of tackling this evil in the society includes targeting the social contexts within which rape are committed for intervention while rapists must be made to face statutory punishment. Informal social control, which starts from the family, should incorporate security training. Third party guardianship may be predatory and parents of children in the susceptible category as discovered in this study must create and secure a safe environment to reduce victimisation. At all levels of governance, post rape therapy is needed for victims to aid recovery of their self worth.

Martha Zamdai Mamza

Mass Communication Department

University Of Maiduguri