The recent surge in the number of reported cases of rape has been alarming. Over the past 7 days, over 10 cases have been reported, 4 came with the subsequent murder of the victims while over 3 dozen women have taken to social media to accuse various public figures of the dastardly act.
The series of events has sparked up a “Say No To Rape” trend on social media, sitting amongst the top trend on Twitter. Amongst them is the case of a 100 level student of Uniben named Vera Uwaila, who was raped and brutally murdered in a Redeemed Christian Church of God in Benin city. Her trend came with the hashtag #JusticeForUwa. It was reported that she went to the church to study. The case should be thoroughly investigated as schools and churches are shut down as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic.
While some suggest indecent dressing or been in a more vulnerable place as a casual factor, what would they say about the case of 18-year-old Bello Barakat, who was raped and killed in her own home?
We urge the government as well as other Civil Rights Group to look into this uprising. Also, victims should speak up or seek help and channel their cause to the court of law, as social media cases in Nigeria always fizzles out with the start of another event.
