Groups March against Increasing Cases of Rape, Child Defilement in Edo

Image result for March against rapeGroups March against Increasing Cases of Rape, Child Defilement in Edo
 

Non -Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have raised the alarm over what they described as alarming cases of rape, child defilement and other crimes against minors in Edo State.

Consequently, the body made up of Brave Heart Initiative (BHI), Federation of Female Lawyers, Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations (CONGOs), Girls Power Initiative (GPI), Society to Heighten Awareness of Women and Children Abuse (SOTHAWACA) and several others on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest across Benin City, condemning in strong terms, sexual violence against female particularly minors in the state.

Members of the NGOs walked through Oba Ovoranmwen Square (Ring Road) and terminated at the Edo State Council Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and was led by the Executive Director, BHI, Priscilla Usobaifo, who disclosed that between January and June 2017, her organisation has recorded 15 cases of sexual violence against women in Akoko-Edo local government area alone.
She therefore called on stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to as a matter of urgency, come to the aid of the victims as some of the cases are quite disturbing.
:"We are here with one purpose in mind because we are all concerned about the prevalence of sexual violence in Edo State.
"We have recorded 21 cases. Out of this, 15 of them are sexual defilement of minors under the age of 14. Some are between the ages 2 to 8years and in about five cases, they were serially raped which means it was not the first time. And out of the 10 cases reported, 7 of them were reported to the police and they are going through prosecution while three of them have been successfully convicted.
"We are deeply worried that these issues have continued to thrive unabated. And, we are also concerned with the impunity exhibited by these rapists, defilers especially at the community level. If we have this number in Akoko-Edo local government area multiply it with the 18 Local Government Councils and imagine the cases though unreported”, she stated.
Responding,  Chairman, Edo Council of NUJ, Rowland Osakue said the Union supports the protest against rapes and defilement, adding that the council would continue to support initiatives to check such acts.

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