By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
The Vice Chairperson, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Bauchi State Branch, Sadiya Saleh, has lamented the high rising cases of rape of minors below 10 years, disclosing that no fewer than 10 cases are recorded weekly in the state.
Saleh, the Chairperson, Human Rights Committee of the NBA and also Chairperson, Law Officers Association of Nigeria, said that rape cases in Bauchi are among the highest across the 19 northern States and the Federal Capital Territory.
She stated this while speaking with journalists in an interview on Wednesday at a 2-day workshop in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, 2024 organized by Attah Sister’s Helping Hands Foundation, Bauchi.
The workshop is on Response Action to Women Peace and Security Pillars (Participation, Prevention, Protection, Relieve and Recovery) as a Means to Promoting Gender Sensitivity in Bauchi State, holding at the Executive Nest Hotel.
“The rate of child rape in Bauchi is one of the highest in the north, not in north-east but in the while north.
“This is because almost on a weekly basis, we record not less than 10 cases of child rape in the State. The rate is very, very high and this is in children not rape among women generally, but in children below the age of 10.
“It is very high and it is a very disturbing and alarming situation to have children of that age being raped in Bauchi State in such a way. They are kids, they don’t deserve that and then, it’s very disheartening for us,” she lamented.
She dispelled insinuations that some of the cases of the rape of minor is for spiritual of ritual purposes, stating that as a Chief State Counsel with the Ministry of Justice, Bauchi, she has not recorded any of such confessions.
Saleh said: “From my experience of being a prosecutor for 10 years now, I have a wealth of experience and I’ve dealt with rape among children, I don’t think I’ve found a single case where an accused person will tell you that they raped a child because they wanted to make money or anything like that.
“I think I’ve just had one case where I knew he was saying that they asked him to rape an older person. She was on a wheelchair and the woman died later on because she was on a wheelchair and her neighbour raped her and he even showed us the charm.
“He said they gave him a charm that he was going to make money but when it comes to children, no. Because we’ve had cases where fathers raped their kids. We’ve had cases where brothers raped their biological sisters.
“I don’t think it is associated with anything like that but I think they are pedophiles, they are just sick people who need help, but it has nothing to do with rituals, based on my experience so far.”
According to her, they keep sensitizing that stakeholders including parents, teachers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, Non-Governmental Organizations and journalists must be on board to achieve results and reduce the rising menace of rape and other crimes to the barest minimum.
She said that awareness is lacking because many people are not aware of what is happening, the implications of what they’re doing and the repercussions stressing that it is because of that that everyone is needed on board to spread the word.
Saleh said that despite the fact that Bauchi has started implementing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law, rape cases are still on the increase.
“Bauchi has started implementing the VAPP law because we’ve had cases where suspects have been sentenced to life imprisonment for rape cases even without confessional statements, so long as the victim will come to court and confess and identify the perpetrator and say ‘yes, he raped me.’
“I don’t know what is happening that there is a rise in rape cases that was why I said we need to create more awareness because it’s like the crime is going higher and higher even with the VAPP law and Administration of Criminal Justice Law,” she said.
She attributed the rise in rape to poverty and lack of education because, according to her, some of the victims were either lured or forced while they were hawking.
The NBA Vice Chair said: “Like children that hawk, you’ll see children on the street that hawk and most of them will tell you that they were in their way to hawk or they were selling something before they were dragged or they took food they sell to a person’s house, he bought the food or groundnuts.
“And when you interview some if the parents of the children, they’ll tell you that it’s poverty, they have to send their children out there to get money for them. Yes, poverty plays a very big role because they’ll asked me that if they don’t send them out, where will they get money for them to feed because they are old and weak?”
Also speaking in her presentation on “Safe Spaces for Women and Girls: Promoting human rights,” the Bauchi State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission, Yahcit Dala said that several efforts have been made over the years to address gender based violence against women and girls especially the creation of the VAPP Law.
“VAPP Law criminalizes offences such as; spousal battery, forceful ejection from home, forced financial dependence, harmful widowhood practices, and other harmful traditional practices
“VAPP Law makes provision for victims and survivors to entitlement to comprehensive medical, psychological, social and legal assistance
“VAPP Law provides for protection of identities of victims and survivors during court cases,” she said.
Dala said that for the purpose of the laws to be achieved, the government and stakeholders must go beyond the passage and implementation of the laws pointing out that there is a need to enhance capacity for expert knowledge and expertise to handle women children’s rights violations
She added that social security and other safety nets must be established to resolve basic human needs that engender the abuse of the rights of women and girls; as well as the need for periodic review or survey assessing the impact of legal and policy measures addressing the rights women and girls.
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