16 July 2020. Voice of Nigeria: The Nigeria’s National Assembly has been called upon to formulate workable and stiffer penalties against rape and other sexual harassment for the protection of young girls and minors in the country.
A Non Governmental Organisation known as Movement Against Rape and Sexual Violence (MARS-V) presented the demand to the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Femi Gbajabiamila in Abuja, Nigeria.
Leader of the movement and wife of the Kaduna State Governor, Aisha Ummi El-Rufai, informed the Speaker of the fear and concerns of the Nigerian women and the girl child on daily basis due to frequent rape cases in the country.
According to her “we have vulnerable persons with special abilities who are not even able to speak, comprehend or relate with the violations of rape being done to them. These are the brutalities being inflicted on our children and our people”.
She expressed worry about how many rapists go un-purnished with several unreported.
“By minimum approximation we have more than seven thousand lives brutalised, some destroyed, while some are terminated. Where are the heads of those perpetrators that could have rolled instantly”? Aisha Ummi asked.
Action Against Rape
She called on the Speaker to intervene and take action against rape by “helping us propose and insist on laws for better results focused policies in our government”.
The Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who promised support and collaboration on action against rape said “it is not a fight for the women alone but a fight for all. I want to see more men in this fight.”
The Speaker said “the house recently deliberated on issues of rape and came up with reaching proposals including cutting off genitals of culprits”.
He described rape as a Pandemic ravaging communities, saying that it should be treated the way Corona virus is being treated.
The Speaker called on the media to collaborate with NAPTIP and other relevant Organisations to deal with the issues of rape in Nigeria.
The movement against rape and sexual violence is an NGO committed towards eliminating rape and other Gender based violence in Nigerian communities.
