Don’t Tag Victims of Rivers Killings Prostitutes, Former Commissioner Tells Police

Former Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, has urged the Nigerian Police Force in the state not to brand victims of widespread killings in hotel rooms in the state as prostitutes.

She made the call when he appeared as a guest on 'The Morning Show,' on Arise TV on Thursday.

The former commissioner condemned those branding the victims prostitutes, stressing that it doesn’t change the fact that they are victims.

According to her, “We are dissatisfied with the shaming that is going on; we are dissatisfied that without cause and investigations, we are calling people names and branding the dead as prostitutes. This assumption is pathetic and baseless.”

She added that the police explanation of not having families come for the bodies of the victims as a reason for calling them names is wrong.

Semenitari said: “It is easy to stigmatise a family, therefore families are reluctant appear because of the branding,” insisting that some of these victims could have been abducted through various means, and urged the police to thoroughly investigate the matter.

“These girls could have been abducted on tricycles or taxi cabs, so the police need to thoroughly investigate the matter, "she added.

Semenitari, who played a major role in the protest which brought out notable women and men to speak against the violence in Port Harcourt recently, said: “We came out yesterday to tell everyone that we are your mothers, wives and daughters, and we are not sluts.

 “There is a big role for traditional rulers in Rivers State and a bigger role for the churches. Things like these should actually cause an outrage in the church and become an issue on the front burner for everyone.”

Speaking on women in politics, she said: “Women need to decide on how to change the narrative and insist that we do have a place on that table. We have not galvanised our strength and deployed it for ourselves, and whether it is stupid rivalry that is brought in from strange places, we find that women are not pushing themselves forward as expected.”