by
Oladapo Pelumi Olukoya
Graduate Student, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
Recently, there has been a great increase in the rate at which rape is being reported in the Nigerian society. Therefore, this article seeks to site a background check on rape, possible causes of rape and proffers ways forward. It leveraged cases that have been prominently discussed in the Nigerian media within the past five years to argue for creating a systemic ambience of care to assuage victims’ trauma, while a thorough approach to investigating rape cases should be prioritised, not the detriment of victims, but to protect the innocent from being implicated.
Background
“A highly religious population yet filled with inhuman souls, makes one wonder what they do spending hours in churches and mosques,” this expression summarizes the thoughts of a number of Nigerian netizens as the news of a popular Nollywood Actor, Olarenwaju James AKA Baba Ijesha, who has been remanded based on allegations of defiling a 14year old minor, was granted an interview by a blogger Biola Adebayo, seeped through the Nigerian Media and internet space a couple of months ago. Similarly, the sexual violation and murder of a certain Ini Umoren have fanned the embers of the growing awareness and condemnation of sexual violence in the Nigerian society. Nonetheless, despite the widespread outcries over the rising cases of rape in Nigeria, there seems to be no end to the nemesis. Almost every other week, there has been a reported case of sexual violence, especially rape, in the country as often reported on the social media, especially X (formerly Twitter). One major reason for the rise of sexual violence in Nigeria could be that sexual violence victims are becoming more encouraged to report such crimes. Though some are quick to contest that there is an increase in the rate of sexual violence in Nigeria.
The latter claim has been validated by studies on the prevalence of sexual abuse in Nigeria, even though it is an offence under several sections of Chapter 21 of the country’s Criminal Code. UNICEF reported in 2015 that one in four girls and one in ten boys in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. According to a survey by Positive Action for Treatment Access, over 31.4 % of girls said that their first sexual encounter had been rape or forced sex of some kind. Also, findings from a National Survey carried out in 2014 on Violence Against Children in Nigeria confirmed one in four females reported experiencing sexual violence in childhood with approximately 70% reporting more than one incident of sexual violence. In the same study, it was found that 24.8% of females, ages 18 to 24 years, experienced sexual abuse prior to age 18 of which 5.0% sought help, with only 3.5% receiving any services. The Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development reported that 1,200 girls had been raped in 2012 in Rivers, a coastal state in southsouthern Nigeria. According to UNICEF, six out of ten children in Nigeria experience emotional, physical or sexual abuse before the age of 18, with half experiencing physical violence.
In December 2019, Mrs Pauline Tallen, Nigeria’s Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development claimed that about two million Nigerians (mainly women and girls) are raped every year. This figure, if proven, shows that there is a systemic failure in handling this spiralling crime. For instance, a poll conducted by NOIPolls in July 2019, revealed that most Nigerians (85%) believe that there is a high prevalence of rape in Nigeria. More than 700 cases of sexual assault were reported between January and May 2020, with numbers surging after a temporary lockdown began in March, according to Nigerian police. The government declared a nationwide state of emergency on rape in June 2020 after a series of harrowing rape-related crimes. Earlier on May 27 of the same year, Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 22-year-old microbiology student of the University of Benin, bled to death after being brutally raped in a well renowned church in Benin City. Days later, another student, 18-year-old Barakat Bello, was gang-raped and stabbed to death during a robbery incident at her home in Ibadan. Likewise on June 4, four masked men raped a 12-year-old girl in her home in Lagos.
The incidents sparked online outrage and nationwide street protests. “I am particularly upset at recent incidents of rape, especially of very young girls,” President Muhammadu Buhari said on June 12 2020, asking all states to adopt the existing Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, which demands a minimum 12-year sentence for rape, and create a sex offender register. In November 2025, the Nigerian Senate passed the bill titled “Sexual Harassment of Student (Prevention and Prohibition) 2025 (HB. 1597)” that would protect students from sexual harassment at universities with a penalty of up to 14 -year jail term for convicted offenders. In Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria, tougher laws that went into effect recommended castration or execution for convicted child rapists.
These punitive measures have, however, been insufficient in addressing the problems of a society that refuses to believe women and continue to segregate the girl child. Many survivors already do not trust the police because they have witnessed the culture of victim blaming and seen allegations that are improperly investigated. Moreover, once a case makes it into Nigeria’s corrupt and overstretched judicial system, it can drag on for years. Survivors and their families are often pressured into withdrawing their cases and accepting a financial settlement to preserve so-called family respect rather than go through a protracted public investigation or trial. An investigation can go on for as long as eternity, when the perpetrator is rich, it becomes another huge problem.
Causes of Rape
The possible causes of incessant rape incidents include drug abuse by the men, laxity of laws against rapists, culture of silence to avoid social stigma, shame and public embarrassment associated with rape by female victims, introduction of young girls into street trading at early age as well as other forms of child labour, unemployment. Ini Umoren was a victim of this particular cause. She was in search of “something to do to keep mind and soul together while contributing dutifully to the organisation,” as she tweeted on her Twitter account. Also, religious and communal stigma associated with surrogacy and adoption has created a rise in baby factories in Nigeria. A large number of female victims in the baby factories are young adolescents who are sometimes exposed to sexual assaults including. Operators of the baby factories mostly prey on pregnant young girls who are from lower income households, unmarried and are afraid of the public stigma associated with teenage pregnancy. Though, majority of the girls enter the factory while pregnant, some of girls in the factories were kidnapped and/or bartered by the operators to submission. These girls are then raped solely for the purpose of procreation.
Ways of Curbing It
Enlightenment – Public enlightenment has been shown to be a critical tool in changing behaviours, attitudes, beliefs and value systems of people. Therefore, there should be intense public enlightenment and education at schools, social clubs, cultural group gatherings, churches, mosques and through the media, to first of all, demystify the myths about sexual assault. These myths inform the way many people think about sexual assault. And because they are in the background, they unconsciously influence people’s thoughts, who often consider false assumptions as being true. To champion the public enlightenment crusade, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and media occupy a major role in this respect. The role of the CSOs would include sponsoring relevant bills at the national assembly that would toughen current legislations on sexual violence. This may include making rape, a capital offence with protracted prison terms.
System To Deal with It – Prevention of sexual assault will remain a mirage until the society puts in place a system to deal comprehensively with actual cases of sexual assault. This approach involves functional, skilled, and synchronized services; and also includes the criminal justice system, the police, social services, and sexual assault services. Encouraging victims/survivors of sexual assault to break their silence by making freely available such services, which should be community-based. Also, successful prosecution of perpetrators will serve as a deterrent and hopefully prevent the next person from falling victim.
Pre-assault Self-Defence/Assertiveness Training – In some parts of the world, women’s self-defence courses, usually organized by institutional Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) programme, do in fact exist. This is a rather bold attempt to correct the traditional role of ideology, especially in the more prevalent arears of sexual assault perpetration against women, where a societal expectation about sexual assault exists that men will be aggressive and women will be passive.
Provision of Jobs / Poverty Alleviation Scheme – The government should provide gainful employment to citizens and set up poverty reduction programs which will halt the unending “Job Hunting” and “Street Hawking”, which expose one to rape and other criminal activities.
In conclusion, it is however worthy to note that false rape accusations and rape should be treated differently; as while they are both gruesome acts, they have different consequences. I would like emphasize that sexual assaults pose an obstacle to peace and security. Many women/girl-children lose their health, livelihoods, husbands, families and support networks as a result of rape. This, in turn, can shatter the structures that anchor community values, and with that, disrupt their transmission to future generations. Children accustomed to acts of rape can grow into adults who accept such acts as the norm. This vicious cycle must stop, as we cannot accept a selective zero-tolerance policy.
MUFFLED CRIES
I write for fatima-sade-ngozi…
a girl whose walls were shattered by a monster
called ahmed-ade-emeka
her érhá couldn’t save her neither could her íyé
the thought of her yells and cries for help still haunts my mind
we all heard the unending cries that seeped from her mama’s teary eyes…
the gloom boldly scribbled on her baba’s weary face
that one touch that filled her heart with trembles and fear
that one touch that made her curse God for her being a girl
she felt numb
as her soul left her
without uttering a word
QUITE QUIET DREAMS
light seeping through drawn torn curtains
tick tock that clocks make
generators giving background sound
doors locking in two swift clicks
bags dropped with tired grips
aroma wafting through window slits
rats hunting in the shadows
pillows being told secret sorrows
stars giving persistent glows.
all these, quite quiet dreams
my city is bestowed with
the night before tomorrow