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Why We Must Name And Shame Rapists In Nigeria – Bunmi Dipo-Salami

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5 years ago

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The Executive Director, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Mrs Bunmi Dipo-Salami, says the death penalty needs to be adopted for rape cases in Nigeria.

Mrs. Bunmi Dipo Salami is the executive director of BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights. She tells The Interview why drastic measures must taken against the prevalent rape culture in Nigeria…It’s a must read!

BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights will be launching a campaign to name and shame perpetrators and enablers of Sexual Violence against women and girls in Nigeria, today July 15, 2019, what informed this effort?

Well, as you are well aware, women and girls have always been the major victims of sexual violence and various forms of abuse around the world.

Today in Nigeria, sexual violence against women has been on the rise and its intensity has assumed an alarming and endemic proportion in the last couple of years.

Despite the fact that there are laws protecting them on paper, women and girls continue to be victims of gender-based violence and misogynistic practices by evil-minded perpetrators by the minute.

Recently, cases of violence against women and girls are so rampant that a week hardly goes by without terrifying cases being reported.

Most of these women and girls are not believed and most times they are shamed and stigmatised for trying to get justice.

Regrettably, most culprits and perpetrators of violence and abuse against women and girls are still out there walking freely and preying on other women and girls.

Eliminating violence against women and girls is one of our core areas at BAOBAB.

We realise, however that Nigerians easily forget about previous cases and only focus on the freshest cases, thereby making it easy for perpetrators to simply disappear into the crowd!

That was why we designed a campaign to accentuate the issue by keeping the debates on the front burner.

This is our own way of making the evil they committed live with them forever. Also, it is to serve as a deterrent to other rapists or potential rapists in our midst.

We believe the campaign will make people wary of culprits and perpetrators of violence against women and girls, and above all enlighten people to say no to rape and put an end to misogynistic practices against women and girls.

What kind of outcome are you hoping to have at the end of the campaign?

One of the reasons rapists get away with the crime is that society has a way of violating the victims of rape all over again when they speak up.

That happens when we disbelieve or blame them for putting themselves in the line of the rapists.

With this Name & Shame Project we are saying to victims and survivors that we believe their account of a rape incident and we stand with them as they call out their rapists.

We hope that at the end of this social media campaign, more sexually abused women and girls would have the courage to speak up and name their abusers and seek the justice they deserve.

We also hope that Nigerians will continue to see the value in shaming those violators who set out to destroy the lives of women and girls with their evil acts.

Moreover, we hope that naming and shaming perpetrators and enablers of sexual violence against women and girls will be a red flag to culprits and supporters of sexual abuse on women and girls.

We believe the campaign will make people wary of culprits and perpetrators of violence against women and girls, and above all enlighten people to say no to rape and put an end to misogynistic practices against women and girls.

Despite the fact that there are laws protecting them on paper, women and girls continue to be victims of gender-based violence and misogynistic practices by evil-minded perpetrators by the minute

What kind of support do you require from the rest of us for this campaign?

We are all in this together because no individual or organisation can single-handedly end the war against women and girls in Nigeria.

So the support we require is for every concerned citizen to join us in this fight against perpetrators and enablers of sexual violence against women and girls in Nigeria.

We expect netizens to make the faces of alleged rapists go viral and to also to share stories available to them with us.

The reign of silence is over. Stand up, speak up and point out the culprits you know as we fight together to put and end to sexual violence and all forms of abuse against women in Nigeria.

We believe the campaign will make people wary of culprits and perpetrators of violence against women and girls, and above all enlighten people to say no to rape and put an end to misogynistic practices against women and girls

What factors do you think are enabling the rape culture in Nigeria?

Sexual violence is fast becoming the norm due to prevalent beliefs, attitudes, and practices, which normalise, excuse and tolerate rape.

It is unfortunate that every day, we make conscious or unconscious decisions that perpetuate the culture of rape in our society.

The role of patriarchy in the inferior and second-class status of Nigerian women and girls has long been established as a factor enabling the culture of rape.

That is why they are always at the receiving end and take the blame for every form of violence perpetrated against them by men.

The patriarchal nature of our cultures and religions puts power and control in the hands of men at the expense of women of all ages.

That is why our society blames the woman for being raped, thereby enabling the culture of rape.

That is why Nigerians would start asking questions like ‘’What was she doing there?’ ‘What was she wearing?’ ‘Maybe she wanted it’ and so forth instead of calling for the head of alleged rapists.

When we blame, shame or disbelieve rape victims or survivors; refuse to punish the culprits; and blame the devil, we are complicit in an act of rape, permitting and encouraging a culture of sexual violence against women and girls.

Some blame poverty, unemployment and other factors for the increase in rape cases in Nigeria but we think that women are becoming more and more of an endangered specie because misogyny as displayed by the hatred, prejudice and contempt Nigerian men have against women.

I say this because though Nigeria is not the only patriarchal society in the world, it is one of the countries where women and girls suffer vicious and toxic manifestations of gender-based violence and social exclusion. That is why there is so much impunity in exercising male privilege and sexual violence.

The support we require is for every concerned citizen to join us in this fight against perpetrators and enablers of sexual violence against women and girls in Nigeria

From what we have seen so far, it’s obvious that sexual molestation in Nigeria is far more endemic that we had all thought; what can we do as individuals and collectively as a people?

It has indeed become endemic and this has gone on for too long unchecked, despite all the efforts at different levels.

So we have to be deliberate in ending sexual and all other forms of violence against women.

It is heartwarming that Nigerians are deploying technology to good use with our active use of social media to report cases and link hands to bring perpetrators to book.

That has no doubt brought the discourse from the margins to the centre on all fronts. We need to continue to call out the rapists among us, shame them and help fight for justice for victims.

Women should not keep quiet in this fight; they have to support and help fellow women and girls because one woman’s problem anywhere is all women’s problem everywhere.

Together and collectively, we can stand up against perpetrators of violence against women and girls and bring them down.

It is up to us to live in a society free of sexual abuse and violence against women and girls.

In addition, we have to be proactive by providing sexuality education to boys and girls in primary and secondary schools, as well as make conscious efforts to reorient men by teaching our boys about respect for a woman’s personal space.

We cannot continue to regard issues of sexuality as taboo. We just have to be open about sexuality. We simply cannot continue to let people live like animals.

We also have to support survivors of sexual assault by creating a society were victims are helped to overcome the trauma of the assault by providing them with psychosocial support, punishing sexual offenders severely and publicly shaming rapists. When survivors get justice, they will heal faster.

Much as I am against the death penalty I think we are at a point where we have to take drastic measures to protect Nigerian girls and women from the war unleashed on them by the perpetrators of sexual violence

NAPTIP has said it would soon open a national sex offender register for rapists; what are your thoughts on this?

That was actually one of the best news of the year because we will now have data of the culprits.

It is anticipated that having that information will make our work easier as the data will make it easier to develop intervention strategies, enable us identify the wolves among us, and we can better protect ourselves from them when we see them around.

Would you also advocate the death penalty for rapists in Nigeria as being demanded by senators?

Much as I am against the death penalty I think we are at a point where we have to take drastic measures to protect Nigerian girls and women from the war unleashed on them by the perpetrators of sexual violence.

So, that may be an option to life imprisonment. That will surely help reduce the incidences of rape in our society as offenders will have an idea of the fate that would befall them if they dare break the law.

It is in our hands to make things happen. If we really want the war on rape to stop the policy of death penalty on rape in Nigeria needs to be adopted.

What’s your last word for rape victims?

I don’t even know where to begin but I can only seize this opportunity to encourage them to speak up, to let them know that I believe them, that it was not their fault and that well meaning Nigerians will ensure they get justice.

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EFCC Bursts Syndicate of 792 Cryptocurrency Investment, Romance Fraud Suspects in Lagos … Arrests 193 Chinese, Arabs, Filipinos, Others

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3 days ago

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December 18, 2024

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The Executive Chairman  of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has  disclosed that the Commission, in a landmark raid,  arrested 792 suspects  for their alleged involvement in cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scam.

The  suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, in a surprise operation at their hideout, an imposing seven-storey edifice known as Big Leaf Building, on No.7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos , following verifiable intelligence received by the Commission.

Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, December 16, 2024,   at the Lagos  Zonal Directorate of the Commission, Olukoyede stated that  148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Kharzartans, one Pakistani, one Indonesian were arrested during the operation.

The EFCC’s boss,  who spoke though the Director, Public Affairs, EFCC, Commander of the EFCC,  CEWilson Uwujaren, further stated that the  foreign nationals used the facility, which could be mistaken for a corporate headquarters of a financial establishment, to train their Nigerian accomplices on how to initiate romance and investment scams and also used the identities of their Nigerian accomplices to perpetrate their criminal activities.

According to him, “All the floors are equipped with high-end desktop computers. On the 5th floor alone, investigators recovered 500 SIM cards of local telcos that were bought for criminal purposes.

“ Their Nigerian accomplices were recruited by the foreign kingpins to prospect for victims online through phishing, targeting mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and several others from European countries.

“They usually arm them with desktop computers and mobile devices and create fake profiles for them.

“The Nigerian accomplices are equally provided with logs that allow them access to foreign communication lines and victims, which they chat with on WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram.”

While giving  further details about the modus operandi of the syndicate, the EFCC Chair said the Nigerian accomplices, who are assigned WhatsApp accounts linked to foreign telephone numbers, especially from Germany and Italy, engage victims in romantic conversations as well as phantom business and investment discussions to trick them to shop on the purported online investment shopping platform called www.yooto.com.

He added: “For those who show interest, activation fees for an account on the platform starts from $35USD.

“Investigation revealed that the criterion for recruiting these young Nigerians is proficiency in the use of computers, especially typing skill. Those who passed the test are given desktop computers and mobile devices and then taken through a two-week induction on how to personate foreign females in romance scam chats and convince victims to invest in their employers’ cryptocurrency investment scam.

“Once the Nigerians are able to win the confidence of would-be victims, the foreigners would take over the actual task of defrauding the victims and proceed to block their Nigerian accomplices from the network. This would then leave them in the dark about the transaction.”

He, however, said the Nigerians involved in the alleged fraudulent activities “do not know the owners of the ‘company’ they work for because they are not offered letters of appointments or receive payment from a corporate account.”

According to him, the  suspected Nigerian accomplices are usually paid either in cash or through an individual’s account.

Olukoyede said the Commission was working with its foregoing partners to establish the extent of the scam and the accomplices as well as the likelihood of any collaboration with organized international fraud cells.

The EFCC Chair also used the occasion to debunk the notion that Nigerians are behind the tonnes of frauds emanating from the country.

“Foreigners are taking advantage of our nation’s unfortunate reputation as a haven of frauds to establish a foothold here to disguise their atrocious criminal enterprises. But, as this operation has shown, there will be no hiding places for criminals in Nigeria,”he said.

Also speaking during the occasion , the acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Commission, Michael Wetkas, sought greater collaboration with the media in the fight against  corruption and economic and financial crimes.

Items recovered from the suspects include desktop computers, mobile phones, laptop computers and cars at the point of arrest.

The suspects will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.

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Kogi Governor Ododo Allegedly Spends N400million To Build ‘Intruders Gate’, Another N439million To Produce Staff Of Office For Chiefs

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2 weeks ago

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December 4, 2024

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About N400million was spent by the Governor Usman Ododo’s administration in Kogi State for the construction of what was tagged “Intruders gate”, a copy of the 2024 state budget performance report obtained by SaharaReporters has revealed.

An intruders gate, also known as a security gate or anti-climb gate, is a type of gate designed to prevent unauthorised access to a property, building, or restricted area.

The primary purpose of such gate is to provide an additional layer of security and protection against potential intruders.

The budget document seen by SaharaReporters showed that the Governor Ododo-led government had in the last 9 months spent N398,817,976.33 on “intruders gate instead of the N100,00,000 appropriated and approved in the 2024 budget by the Kogi State House of Assembly.

This suggested that N298,817,976.33 was allegedly illegally spent above the budget ceiling on such gate.

However, where the gate was mounted by the government wasn’t disclosed in the document.

A further check on the report revealed that N439,500,000.00 has so far been spent in 2024 for the “production of customised staff of office for graded chiefs” in the state.

These spendings are coming at a time when residents of the state like other Nigerians are going through a spike in cost of living, hardship and hunger.

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported how the Ododo-led government spent N2.9billion for the Government House minor capital works and remodelling government house between January and September 2024.

The review showed that while the state budgeted N100 million for government house minor capital works, it has ended up spending N784 million within nine months.

Also while the government budgeted N962million for remodeling government house structure, it has spent N2.2 billion within nine months.

The review further showed that based on the details published by the state government, it has continued to overshoot budgetary allocations.

For instance, N50million was budgeted for renovation of Speakers’, honourable members residential quarters, within nine months however N58.7 million was spent.

Renovation of honourable speaker and deputy speakers lodge stood at a budgeted amount of N50 million , however N52 million was spent within nine months.

Maintenance of the Secretary to the State Government’s official residence and landscaping stood at a budget of N10million, however within nine months N13.8million was spent.

Construction of Mosque and Chapel in the government house was budgeted at N25 million, however the state spent N86.4 million within nine months.

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Audit report reveals CBN’s non-disclosure of $40.23bn in reserves, policy violations under Emefiele’s tenure

Published

2 weeks ago

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December 3, 2024

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) failed to disclose details of the nation’s external reserves, valued at $40.23 billion, in its 2021 financial year report, as stated in the latest findings from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.

The 2021 audit report, released in December 2024, further exposed violations of internal policies on dollar time deposits by the CBN under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele, whose tenure as CBN governor ended in June 2023, is currently facing charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The EFCC accuses him of obtaining $6.2 million under false pretenses, using a forged letter purportedly from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation dated January 26, 2023.

The letter allegedly requested a contingent logistics advance from the CBN, which Emefiele falsely claimed was authorized by the president.

The audit also scrutinized the CBN’s adherence to its revised Investment Policy, raising additional concerns about financial management during the period under review.

“For the year 2021 financial year, the Bank failed to publish the position amounting to US$40,230,803,228.80 of the country’s external reserves to the public,” the report stated.

The report further noted that there was no waiver or new policy introduced during the period that could explain the non-disclosure of the external reserves.

It attributed the failure to weaknesses in the internal control systems at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The report also pointed out that this lack of transparency violated Article 15(v) of the CBN’s revised Investment Policy, which mandates the Bank to define the content, form, and frequency of reports on external reserves to ensure transparency.

The Auditor General expressed concerns about the significant risks associated with this breach, including a lack of accountability, diminished transparency, and potential harm to Nigeria’s economic credibility.

The report cautioned that foreign investors are not sufficiently informed about the country’s economic status, which could undermine investor confidence.

In response to the audit query, the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stated that “information on the external reserves position is available to members of the public on the Bank’s website under the Reserve Management tab.”

The report also mentioned that the Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which convenes every two months, provides updates on the reserves.

However, the Auditor General’s assessment concluded that the bank’s response did not effectively address the fundamental issue at hand.

“The response from the Management failed to address the issue raised,” the report said, maintaining that its findings remain valid.

The Auditor General’s report recommended that the CBN governor be summoned before the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committees to explain the failure to publish the reserves.

It also called for potential sanctions under the Financial Regulations Act of 2009, citing serious misconduct.

Additionally, the report suggested that “sanctions relating to gross misconduct prescribed in paragraph 3129 of the Financial Regulations 2009, should apply.”

The audit also uncovered a violation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Money Market Policy, in addition to the non-publication of reserves figures. It revealed that a $26.05 million dollar time deposit exceeded the mandated maximum maturity period of three months, rolling over for five months without the required waivers.

This deposit, made on October 21, 2021, matured on March 21, 2022, in direct contravention of internal policies designed to manage liquidity and credit risks.

The Auditor-General attributed this breach to weaknesses in the CBN’s internal control systems.

In its defense, the central bank argued that its policies allow for extensions of up to one year for specific transactions, asserting that the dollar deposit was in compliance with these provisions.

However, the Auditor-General rejected this explanation, pointing to insufficient evidence to support the bank’s claims.

The report recommended that the CBN governor appear before the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly to justify both the failure to publish reserves and the extension of the dollar deposit’s maturity.

Additionally, it called for sanctions against the CBN under the Financial Regulations Act of 2009 for gross misconduct.

“The CBN Governor should be requested to: Furnish the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly with the evidence of approval to extend the maximum maturity period of US$26,051,039.29 deposit of the CBN for five months instead of three months, and Otherwise, sanctions relating to gross misconduct prescribed in paragraph 3129 of the Financial Regulations 2009, should apply,” it said.

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