WHY IS RAPE ON INCREASE IN NIGERIA?

COMMENTARY: RISING RAPE CASES IN NIGERIA

News about rape of female minors, youths and even adults,  as well as many other acts of violence against them have become so frequent these days that there is hardly a day passing without such horrible reports being flashed either by the media or the social media.

The men perpetrating this dastardly act practically demonstrate in strong terms their inability to control their libido, as they rape whoever falls in their trap without minding the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections including the deadly HIV and the possibility of landing in jail if caught.

As many now say, the Nigerian society has become “a den of rape”, thus making the society even more hostile to the female fold to grow normally, go to school, work and excel,  like their male counterparts.

Some of the rape cases sound so frightening.

For instance, stories have been told about how a 62 year old man in Jalingo the capital of Taraba State raped a 7 year old girl;  a man raped a 2 year old in Osun State in 2014, 9  boys raped and murderd a 9 year old in Sokoto, a 27 year old man raped 5 year old girl also in Taraba and a 17 year old boy raped 3 year old girl in Gombe.

The list is endless.

 A meditation on this, many are dumfounded and wondering what indeed is this world  turning into.

But one may ask; why is rape on the increase? 

Why would for instance very old men, old enough to be great grandfathers find attraction in babies sucking babies and indeed children to the extent of forcefully having canal knowledge of them?

A cross section of Lagos residents blame the multiplicity of rape cases in the society and many factors, including the sign of end time, idleness, and others.

But Nigeria is not alone in this as nations in across the globe have also had their own fair share of the rot.

A case that readily comes to mind is the alleged rape of an Indian girl -who they later murdered, a case that triggered global call for tighter laws to protect the girl child.

There thousands and one of such cases including the incident in Zimbabwe in which a forty five year old man murdered 2 female children aged 2 and 4, after raping them.

The role of the police is to maintain law and order, and indeed check crime.

Many people have said the Nigerian police have not actually done well enough in checking rape.

Some of them who hold this view base their argument on past rape cases, especially the highly celebrated case in which a Lebanese man raped a 17 year old girl, got her pregnant in the process and abandoned both her and the baby. 

Yet today, the man is moving freely because the power from above seems to be shielding him from prosecution.

As a matter of fact, many people in military uniform who are even knowledgeable of the law have even become actors in rape.

Some religious clergies from both Christianity and Islam say rape is against the teaching of both old Christian and Muslim, and advise the adherents of the two major religions in the country to embrace holiness to fight the devil leading them into rape.

Failure of victims of rape and their relations to report such cases, and lack of speedy trial and prosecution of perpetrators, are two major factors blamed for the multiplicity of rape in the society.

Majority of people who responded to an opinion poll confirmed that  many children that suffered violence remained silent because they were ashamed.

The authorities and the general public should take note of this.

Victims of rape should be encouraged and empowered to open up, while their rapists made to face the consequences of their evil acts.

That way, many believe, the rising rape cases in the society will be checked.