NANFeatures/Vol.11/No.137/2017 (Sept. 27)
Checking the rising cases of rape in Plateau
By Martha Nuhu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Mrs Comfort Zawaya, Senior Project Officer of the Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society claims that cases of raping are prevalent in Plateau, calling for a pragmatic approach to checking rape cases across the country.
“The society has recorded more than 592 cases of rape from 2015 to date against women and girls in Plateau and the situation keeps on getting worse.
“Rape is on the rise in Plateau; the society is keeping track of the trend; most of the perpetrators are more than 50 years of age.
“The cases of raping among the perpetrators involve children who are as young as two years old with most of the cases not reported.
“The latest we have handled is a case of 11-year old girl raped by a 57-year old man; most of these cases involved younger children which are really pathetic,’’ she said.
Zawaya attributed the rising cases of rape to lack of tough laws to prosecute perpetrators of such acts.
She, however, said the society had established a home for women and girls battered or raped to rehabilitate them.
Apart from the society’s findings, a survey by Violence Against Children Campaign indicates that one in four girls and one in 10 boys experience sexual violence and such cases are becoming rampant in the state.
Similarly, courts hear several cases of rape such as those with these concerned humanitarian organisations.
For instance, a 57-year-old man, Aminu Ibrahim, appeared before a Jos Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama, Jos, recently charged with raping a four-year old girl after luring her with milk drink.
In another court case, one Shuaibu Musa,18 and Bashiru Mohammed, 19, tied two teen sisters to a tree and raped them while they were returning from their father’s farm in Kuru, Jos recently.
Beside these cases, a 52-year-old man, John Udensi, also pleaded guilty for raping three minor girls before a Jos High Court.
Udensi had told the court that he would send the little girls to buy things for him and when they returned, he would drag them to his room and have sex with them.
Mrs Vou Sha, member a community based non-governmental organisation in Jos, described the increase in such cases as worrisome.
“This rising trend is very worrisome and needs to be given enough attention to see that it is reduced to its barest minimum.
“We have a case that we handled of a man in Angwan Rogo who persistently raped his own daughters; he did this with his first daughter and his second daughter.
“The wife came to know about it when she caught him raping the second daughter and reported it to us, the community ex-communicated the man in question and was handed over to the police,’’ she said.
Explaining some of the causes of rape, Mrs Ruth Dul, a psychologist and Executive Director, Christian Rural and Urban Development of Nigeria, attributed such behaviours by men to personality disorder, inferior complex, fear of approaching older women, rituals and other environmental factors.
She further explained that there were serious psychological effects left on the child or woman that had been raped which sometimes remained there for a life time.
Also, Dr Daniel Meshak, Chairman Nigerian Medical Association in Plateau, described the physical effects of rape on a child as devastating.
“There are injuries that the children sustain in the course of rape, either the anus or the vagina; there are tears and lacerations, usually with bleeding.
“In fact they could transfer infection to the children such as HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea, hepatitis; and another thing that could occur is Vesico-Vaginal Fistula,’’ she observed.
To check rising cases of rape, Mr Terna Tyopev, Police Public Relations Officer in Plateau, said the police would always take adequate steps in making sure that offenders in such cases were charged to court.
“It is not true that the police release rape suspects, we ensure that they are charged to court and are given the punishment they deserve.
“The police attach so much importance to the matter because it is rising and it needs to be checked, but if someone decides not to report such a case, how are we going to know?,’’ he said.
Tyopev explained that desk offices had been opened in police stations across the state to address such cases because of the seriousness the police attached to the development.
All efforts at checking rising cases of rape notwithstanding, concerned citizens insist that parents and guardians of rape victims must report such cases to the relevant authorities.
They observe that although some victims fear to speak out for fear of stigmatisation, situation seems to be changing now as victims are now coming out to speak, not minding the attitude of the public to such report.
They advise that the public should be conscious of suspected rapists who, in most cases, are living in their neighbourhood and take precautions against rape.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)