RAPE : TURNING THE HEAT ON WOMEN VIOLATORS IN EKITI. By YAQOUB POPOOLA
In spite of the various gender based laws enacted in Ekiti,the state is contending with the disturbing cases of rape and defilements by some unscrupulous elements in the society .In fact ,there is hardly a day that one would not come across or read about incident of rape across Nigeria .
Rape is an offence to humanity and must be treated as such. A person commits rape if he or she intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person with any other part of his or her body and the other partner does not consent to the penetration.
It also occurs if the consent is obtained by force or means of threat or intimidation of any kind or by fear of harm or by means of false and fraudulent representation.
An action can also be regarded as an act of rape if it is carried out with the use of any substance or additive capable of taking away the will of such person.
Disturbed by the spate of the menace ,some High Court Judges recently advocated Life Jail for the culprits
The judges lent their voices at a training workshop organized by a Non-governmental organization, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD) in collaboration with the British High Commission
The jurists posited that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others and stem the tide of child molestation and other social ills in the country.
Another strange dimension being introduced to the menace is the one involving female students against their male counterparts .
For instance, a University undergraduate who craved anonymity confided in Saturday Independent how a group of Ladies gang raped a guy who is notorious for raping varsity girls in Ekiti.
According to the source “We were surprised to hear that a popular ‘Yahoo Guy’ who is fond of raping girls had landed in the hospital .We later found out that some Ladies actually decided to teach him a lesson of his life when they stormed his apartment and forcefully offered sex to him until he was exhausted .”
The good news about Ekiti is that most of the culprits ,unlike before are now been brought to justice .
Most of the reported incidents of rape were committed against minors and the development had remained a source of concern to critical stakeholders .
However,the Kayode Fayemi led administration has announced new measures aimed at curbing sexual violence, especially child defilement and rape in the state.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapounda disclosed that persons currently standing trial for offence of child defilement and those whom the Director of Public Prosecution had issued a ‘case to answer legal advice for the same offense will henceforth undergo compulsory psychiatry test.
Other measures according to the Commissioner include pasting of photographs of convicted sex offenders in prominent public spaces in their local government headquarters, uploading the sex offenders photograph on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
Such sex offenders would also have their photographs shown on the state owned Television station and their names announced on state radio, in an apparent move to name and shame them.
Fapounda said the state came up with these new measures, when previous measures, which include aggressive prosecution of sex offenders, opening of sex offenders register and disqualification from prerogative of mercy appeared not sufficient enough to curb the scourge.
He said the Dr Kayode Fayemi-led administration has a zero tolerance for sexual violence and would do everything possible to protect women and children against the scrouge, which is fast becoming rampant in the state.
Fapohunda who admitted that prosecution alone would not end the social malaise which is now almost becoming a trend in Ekiti State, said the Ministry would also issue an advisory to the traditional ruler of the sex offender’s community on the status of the offender.
“Today, I am announcing new measures aimed at curbing sexual violence in the State. The State Government is concerned about the frequency of reported cases of sexual offenses. It has therefore become necessary to put in place proactive measures to halt this trend. So that there is no confusion, the measures that have been announced today refer specifically to the offenses of rape and child defilement”, he said.
The Attorney General stated further that the measures are aimed at protecting women and the girl child; adding that government is working to ensure that maximum penalties are placed on sexual offenders.
Fapohunda who noted that any sex offender who feels that the measures constitute a breach of his right can seek redress in a court of law. He added that the “victim-support strategy” is within the provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended.
“Government is aware that prosecution alone will not solve this problem. Therefore the Ministry of Justice will embark on public education and awareness including consultations with key persons and institutions in the state.
“So, there is no confusion, the measures that have been announced today refer specifically to the offences of rape and child defilements, he added.
As part of measure to curb the menace Mrs Fayemi also advocated inclusion of sex education in school curriculum .
The. governor’s wife noted that this would open up children knowledge and halt abuse .
She also urged teeming Nigeria youth to develop good reading habit for intellectual benefits.
She added that they give prominence to frivolities rather than engaging in activities capable of Sharpening their intellectual capable through reading.
Commenting the government’s intervention so far on rape ,the International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State Branch described the Fayemi’s administration as a nightmare to women violators .
The Chairperson FIDA in the State, Mrs Adefunke Anoma who lauded the various laws enacted to check gender based violence in Ekiti stressed that it had lifted the state .
Specifically ,the women lawyer praised the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi for leading the advocacy .
The FIDA Chairperson said the Fayemi’s Government position on Gender Based Violence and Erelu Fayemi’s stand on anything call violence against women, and violation of child’s rights has reawakened the people’s awareness in the state.
“Her Excellency, Erelu Bisi Fayemi’s efforts have become popular such that it has come to the knowledge of everybody in the state that it is no longer business as usual in view of her renewed fight against violation of women and child’s rights in the state, and I think this is commendable”.
The Executive Director of the New Generation ,Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD)Abimbola Aladejare who had been in the forefront in the anti rape advocacy also called on security operatives not to spare anyone caught violating or molesting women in Ekiti .
Also, Human rights Lagos ,Femi Falana (SAN) urged the governor Fayemi to protect the rights of citizens with apostolic zeal .
“,Myself , Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Fapohunda, and myself have come from the same human rights background and for the two of them, the task is higher in defense of human right . I also made the point that I have consistently challenged human rights violation in the state and other parts of the country and that notwithstanding my relationship with the governor, I cannot compromised on that” Falana said .
In December 6,2013,a Proprietor of a Private Nursery and Primary School in Ado Ekiti ,Tunde Ibitoye was arraigned for allegedly defiling an 11-year old pupil.
The accused and owner of God Is Great Nursery and Primary School located in Kajola, had since being convicted .
He was caught pant down at a notorious location fondly called Agric Olope , Ajilosun Area of the State Capital by a 30-year old Mechanic , Mr Kayode Ayeni, while allegedly committing the act .
The suspect was conveying the victim and one other pupil to their respective homes on Monday in his private car, where he suddenly stopped at the new market on the pretext that he wanted to defecate, but with alleged intention to defile the girl.
“After five to ten minutes he had entered into the bush, the Proprietor called the pupil to bring a toilet throw for him. But fortunately, a person was watching . And out of curiosity,the man went there and met the two of them naked . He then raised alarm, which attracted people to the spot”.
Around June in 2018 ,three men were put in prison custody for gang-raping a 14 year-old girl.
The trio, Samuel Farotimi (27), Sunday Ajimoko (40) and Sunday Ilugbo (30) were arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court for allegedly taking turns to sexually assault the girl (name withheld).
Pa Samuel Oladipupo, 85, was recently arrested by the police in Ekiti State for allegedly raping a 12 year-old girl.
The man, who has two wives, according to the police, committed the crime on Sunday at his house in Okesa, Ado-Ekiti.
Police prosecutor, Sergeant Oriyomi Akinwale, told the court that the accused men committed the offence at about 9.00pm on January 29 at Odo Ado area of Ado-Ekiti.
He said the accused men conspired among themselves and raped the victim while coming back from an errand.
In September 2018, students and commercial bus drivers engaged in a violent clash over alleged rape of a female student in Ikere-Ekiti.
The 200 level student of the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, was allegedly raped by a commercial driver along College-Igbara Odo way on Sunday.
It was learnt that the victim, who was said to be suffering from a bout of malaria fever, had gone to the town to seek medical treatment when she was allegedly raped by the driver of a commercial vehicle popularly called (Akoto driver ) at about 8pm.
Meanwhile ,governor Fayemi had inaugurated the Gender-Based Violence Management Committee and the State Child’s Right Implementation Committee.
The committees which have eminent personalities like the Ekiti State First Lady,The Commissioners for Justice and Women among others also have representatives of the various Civil Society Organizations in Ekiti .
The Governor said the news of child’s right violation and women abuse that currently dominates the social media and other news media has confirmed that the enactment of the Gender-Based Violence Prohibition Law in 2011 was a step in the right direction.
Dr Fayemi stated that his administration has zero tolerance for gender violence and would continuously strive to make the society free of all forms of gender violence.
“Gender Based Violence is an issue that has assumed the proportion of a pandemic. It is pathetic to note that one in every five women will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or abused in her lifetime and in conflicts.
“The situation is a pervasiveness of Gender Based Violence and its negative impact is borne by the victim, her immediate family and community. All of us must do everything in our power to prevent and end this ugly trend of violence in and around us and to support victims and survivors”, he said.
While lamenting the high rate of child’s right violation in recent times, the governor said the resuscitation of the two committees became imperative for special safeguard and care using appropriate legal protection, since most children are physically and mentally immature.
Fayemi urged members of the two committees to justify the confidence reposed in them and work towards making the State free of violence against women and children.
In her response, the Ekiti State First Lady and chairperson of the Gender Based Violence Management Committee, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, thanked the governor for inaugurating the two committees. She lamented that fight against gender based violence was discontinued in the State in 2014 shortly after the expiration of Fayemi’s first tenure.
The governor’s wife expressed delight that efforts have now been redoubled to push forward in the fight against gender violence.
Erelu Fayemi recalled that the Gender Based Violence Prohibition Law had gone a long way in addressing domestic violence in the State, adding that the committee set up on Child’s Right would ensure that no child in Ekiti State is denied his/ her future .
Lending her voice to anti rape campaign ,the wife of the General Overseer of the Word Bible Church , Prophet As Felicia Kumoluyi, called for serious sanctions against any pastor found to be engaging in rape or dubious acts .
She opined that this remains the best way to curb evil acts in the houses of God across the country.
She spoke through one of the pastors of the church ,Samuel Ajiboye,
:The only thing I know is that , many of the pastors were not called by God, they called and anointed themselves .
“Civilisation has crept into the churches, even during the time of Jesus Christ, it happened. Some at that time were prostitutes, they prophesied but they got their powers from darkness .
“These kinds of 419 practices , rape and sexual enslavement in churches can affect the work of God adversely, because you can’t buy or sell or misuse the real power of God.
“Many things are responsible. Some pastors are looking for what to eat. Some were called but derailed along the line due to material acquisition. As we speak, many prophets built hotels where prostitution are taking place, these can’t happen if we all believe and preach holiness.
“People with inordinate ambitions , who are also ,business oriented have taken over our churches. Few days back, a pastor kidnapped himself in Ekiti here and demanded N3m ransom from his church. He was arrested while trying to withdraw the money. He did this because he lacked the knowledge of God.
“The worst thing had been that many of them used to escape justice after doing all these. The best way to stop it is for government to send such prophets to jail if they have verifiable evidence about his atrocities”.
The CSOs have lauded the first lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi on her roles in promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls in the state, describing her as a role model for other First Ladies in the country.
The coalition stated this at a meeting of leaders of NGOs operating in the state. The meeting took place at the First Lady’s office in Ado-Ekiti on Monday chaired by the chairman of NGOs in Ekiti State, Sir Olu Ogunrotimi.
Even as the authorities of the Ekiti State University (EKSU,) is yet to make public its investigations on the alleged sex tape involving one of its staff ,the man st the center of the drama has broke his silence .
Dr. Olaleye Aduwo, whose nude video recently went viral on social media while allegedly attempting to have sex with one of his female described the whole saga as a hoax.
Speaking with a cross section of journalists in Ado Ekiti on Monday, Aduwo, in an emotion laden, expressed regret over the issue, which he claimed was a deliberate attempt to smear his hard earned integrity and reputation.
The lecturer in a 29-second video that went viral about a month ago with forced the varsity to institute an investigative panel .
During the process, the lecturer was tortured, harassed and dehumanized by people brought by the lady with mention.
Since the incident happened, the lecturer has kept mute on the issue, except the defence he presented before the panel set up by Ekiti State University to investigate the issue, which was gleaned through some sources privied to the closed door interaction.
He said :”though the incident came to me as a surprise and it is still under investigation. I urge members of the public to disregard any misleading information circulated on social media as such was not true.
“There was nothing about sex allegation, claiming that he was set-up to rubbish by the lady”.
Speaking further, Aduwo added: “The lady in question was more or less like a daughter and a friend to my own daughter hence, I couldn’t have asked her for sex.
“On the said day, some unknown hoodlums suspected to be cultists, numbering about 15 suddenly invaded my house along Ikere Road, Ado Ekiti through the connivance of the lady in question, to molest me.
“I had just shared dinner with my friend, Mr Allen Akinmudiro, co-inhabitant in the same flat when the incident happened around 10pm in my living room
“The female student in question who is a friend to my own daughter arrived the house and took part in the dinner with me and Mr Akinmudiro, but neither did I know that she had an ulterior motive.
“After the meal, the lady signaled to the hoodlums who wasted no time as they stormed my house, rough-handled me, stripped me naked right in my sitting room with my friend Allen and subjected me to serious tortures ,using electric device, and they beat me with harmful objects”.
He claimed that the hoodlums came into the house with guns and other dangerous weapons, saying he had no choice than to obey their instructions so as not to endanger his life.
End
