Okpotokpo Adaigbo Nile worldwide says enough is enough to incessant female rape in Nigeria

Okpotokpo Adaigbo Nile Worldwide, A leading global women group and the umbrella body of all Igbo women organization across the globe has fulminated against the upsurge of sexual violence against women in Nigeria.

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"Please kill me I beg  you, its better to die than to be condemned to this fate, I am fertile now and pregnancy will destroy my life and create external enmity. It will condemn me and the baby to unending humiliation and torture". This is a plea from a 17 year old girl rape victim in 2014, as five men took turn to rape her in the one of the Nigerian universities.

There are several cases about rape and forces impregnation, which are very irritating. Now and then,it is reported that a teacher has raped a student. A religious leader has raped his flock. Robbers have raped a victim. A man has raped a sister-in-law or daughter-in-law. A master has raped a housemaid. A security man has raped his master's wife. A boss has raped his staff. A father has raped his daughter. A young man has raped a grandmother. A minor has raped a fellow minor. A traditional ruler has raped a subject. An 80 -year- old man has raped an 8 -year-old girl.   

Pregnancies resulting from rape impede recovery of rape victim and make reconciliation of families who are involved difficult. It is easier to forgive a rape  that did not result in pregnancy than one that did. It impedes girls from reaching womanhood, stifles their education and creates prolong fear of safety. Mickay et all (2010) revealed that no woman who become pregnancy by rape was ever accepted by the husband. On the other hand, girls who bear children from rape find it extremely difficult in African culture to get married. Having children from rape denies a woman societal respects and contributes to her isolation. These women and girls are given names, seen as disgusting and chased  out of their homes. 

Amnesty International (2010) revealed that despite that justice and healthcare are critical to these people whose lives are ruined by rape; they are subjected to conditions of further exploitation, stigma and withdrawal of attention at the time is needed most.       If we add together the estimated number of war- rape orphans, children born to women held captive as sexual slaves and children born to women on the grounds of sexual exploitation, this emerges as a problem of enormous global scope with respect to securing fundamental human rights, justice and peace building.  

Greg (2001) report, estimates the number of all living war babies born out of rape to be 500,000 in 2001.          Rape occurs in tertiary education campuses at alarming rate and these cases largely go unreported because of lack justice and stigma. There is an increase in the rate of abduction and kidnapping in the country. Figures revealed that over 38% of abductees were women and 26% of them got raped. Owing to illegality of abortion in Nigeria and stigma associated with rape 2 out of 10 rape victims became pregnant. Children born of rape are dumped at refuse sites, abandoned in the hospital and sold for ritual purposes. Few who survived ended up as street children or in orphanages. 

There are over 22,000 children born of rape in Nigeria and they could form an army of rebel in the nearest future, since they feel rejected and frustrated.       

The recent  happening in Nigeria and other African countries testifies to the fact that this cankerworm ( rape) is already widespread and becoming unbearable. Of a particular interest is raping and murder of Uniben 100 level student, Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, on Wednesday May,27th. 2020 in a church at Benin. Based on this heinous act,  

I, Dr  Chitom Akamelu, under the argies of Okpotokpo Adaigbo Nile Worldwide join forces with other women to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, it is high time, Nigerians use one voice to condemn  this barbaric act ( rape) in its totality.

Nigerian National Assemblies should enact a harsh law with severe penalty to any body found guilty of rape,to serve as detriment to others.  

Rape perpetrators should not be allowed henceforth, to be walking freely in the street, no matter how highly placed , they should be ostracized, castrated and condemned with life imprisonment. If Nigeria government should adhere to these outlined suggestions, the incessant rape cases in Nigeria should be things of the past.

From, Dr Chitom Akamelu     ASN, TCN, TAMN,FCAI.