The Bane of Rape in Nigeria: A Perspective -By Qodri Babatunde

The rate at which rape occurs in Nigeria is too alarming; our youths, including adults, are going to extremes to defile children without their consent. However, these rapists seek the prerogative of mercy before the judge which later results in mere punishment.

I have seen many rapists who have defiled the innocent ones and gone scot-free. As a matter of fact, Instances of rapists who indulge in the satanic act and dodge the consequences of thier actions abound. They always have the pleasant grace of being nabbed without due punishment. Hence, the judgement of the court would either be tantamount to short-term jail or indecent fine in the long run.

Based on this, the punishment meted on rapists are less compared to the gravity of the crime committed. It’s no surprise, however, to see the continued indulgence of rapists in the act, since the perpetrators are aware that the law is feeble. Under no circumstances should the perpetrators go unpunished.

Plus, the prevalence of rape in Nigeria can be attributed to our leaders, government and communities which provide the horrible context for the act. It is my belief that if these aforementioned classes of people would join hands to contain this devil, perpetrators will be appropriately dealt with and the scourge will become a thing of the past.

Moreover, it is evidently clear that one of the major reasons why government are unable to defeat this is that we have a society that has plummeted to smelling immoral pieces and the “men in power” feel that since it doesn’t affect them personally, it’s not worthy of their attention. This strange context encourages perpetrators in more ways than one.

The recent cases of girls that fell victims of rape perpetrators further confirm the endemic of the act in Nigeria. While a number of others caught the attention of the public, The case of Uwa would go down the annals in Nigeria as one of the most pathetic, much-discussed rape instance. If the laws that concern rape in the country had been serious enough, these devils would have been made to face the dire consequences of their actions.

You would agree with me that rape has also taken to another dimension as perpetrators find it appropriate context to execute their money rituals. In fact, it’s not news that there exist cases where the victims are used for money rituals. Isn’t disheartening that when they are done with them, these messengers of devil endeavour to dump the useless remains of the victims somewhere? I can’t wrap my head around the logic that supports a 50-year-old man defiling a 10-year-old girl. The situation is errie.

In view of this, it behooves our government to urgently rise to action in order to put a stop to this vice. They must also understand that the fight must be collective, as all levels of government must see the need to agree on solutions that can address the scourge. In the process, the community and religious leaders have their roles to play.

The community which begins from individual homes should take the responsibility of emphazing the importance of morality. Parents, specifically, must train their children in a good way and make them understand the need for their children to be morally good. As a matter of fact, they must decently educate their children on sex right from their adolescent to adult stage.

This also concerns the religious bodies. Religious leaders should preach morality and decency to young people and ensure that the fulcrum of their campaign relates to the  decent bases of morality which different religions preach, since none of them encourages rape and other heinous acts.

By and large, children, especially girls, ought to know that rape is immoral. They should not be lured into the act because of a promise of money to them. The point here is, youths should be  spiritually counselled in order to see the dangers that lurk in the vice. 

My final take: Rape is a satanically inspired act; nothing good comes out of it. It’s therefore our responsibility to lead a society that is moral and sincerely religious. Rape demands the union of the government and the communities in order for it to go into permanent exile. While girls should be adequately orientated, our youths should know that rape blurs the image of a good society.