The Coalition of Civil Society Groups has condemned and incessant rape and violence against the girl-child.
Following the recent outburst against rape on social media, the group during a peaceful protest in Abuja, demanded that the federal government should declare a state of emergency on gender and sexual-based violence.
Groups under the coalition including ActionAid, TeacherNG, Girl-Child Africa, Connected Development, Enough is Enough Nigeria, Stand to End Rape, Silver Chip Fox, Yiaga Africa, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation and Education on Vaccine Foundation, Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme, Malala Fund, Heir Women Development and Disability Rights Advocacy Centre, as well Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), during a nationwide protest, urged the NPF to intensify it’s fight against all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.
According to the groups, Over 80 women within the age of 2-80 have been reportedly raped between January and June this year. they noted that the recent rape and brutal murder of 23-year-old University of Benin undergraduate, Uwaila Omozuwa, in Benin City, the Edo State capital, as well as the rape of a 12-year-old girl by 11 men in Jigawa State, is a deadly reminder that Nigerian girls are endangered.
“Women and girls need more than promises; we need an urgent declaration of state of emergency in every state in Nigeria to accelerate investigation, arrest and prosecution of offenders,” Ene Obi, ActionAid Country Director said.
In a statement, Executive Director of CCSI, Mrs. Babafunke Fagbemi, decried losing her precious daughters to rape, while those who survive the violence are left to live with the painful memories for a long time, adding that the authorities must be more deliberate in protecting Nigerian women and girls.
“It is unacceptable what has happened to the young girls who met their untimely deaths in the most gruesome manner. The question we should be asking is why should this dastardly act continue, despite the myriad of laws that we have in this country.
“Is it that those who commit rape are let off easily or the laws themselves are grossly insufficient to act as a deterrent? We need to look at the issues of our laws, if they are insufficient with a view to strengthen them, while the security agencies must ensure the enforcement of such laws,” she said.
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