National Issues
Sexual Abuse: War Against A Nation’s Future.
AMAZING, incredible, bizarre, mind-boggling, unimaginable, stupendous, tyrannical, oppressive, inane, irritating are some apt words which would describe the increasing maladies of sexual abuse being reported in environments, climes and nations.
Examples abound, old maternal father paternal fathers having incestuous sexual relationships with their daughters, often times minors, baby factories springing daily in poverty ravaged countries that cannot manufacturing toothpicks into their industrial policies, pastors/spiritualists/ woe – leaders taking advantage of their female- customers seeking spiritual solutions, ritualists severing private parts of their sex victims. There are more dragged, fierce-looking, maniacal Boko-Haram insurgents taking over towns, villages and territories, seizing their innocent young girls and for several years subjecting them to serial sexual orgies unthinkable except towards casting pornographic videos.
Helpless grannies and widows being waylaid by cudgel wielding youths, aimed robbers and kidnappers invading homes mostly at nights subjecting wives and sleeping tired mothers of these homes to brazen sex in front of their husbands, sons and daughters.
Street hawkers are lured into uncompleted homes to buy what they are not willing to sell and lecturers taking advantage of desperate students seeking admission, seasonal academic promotions and teachers in crèche, nursery, primary and secondary schools sexually abusing their teens under them. Boundless to the geographical age, gender, class or professional limitations.
Though, the burden of guilt has rested unarguably and incontrovertibly more on the men folk, the feminine folk have regrettably being equally accused especially with provocatively seductive dresses in vogue among the female gender.
An Ex-President of a foremost advanced country was sometimes ago found guilty of sexual immorality and many stars, respected icons and leading figures in the world could not and cannot absolve themselves. There is more to sex than the sense or literature could fathom.
The human psychology and physiology of victims are negatively affected sometimes for life. Many had caught STDs, HIVs, AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases as a result of being sexually abused. Many abused minors never trust anybody again as long as they live, later in life, become frigid in response to normal legal marital sex.
Many marriages suppose to be built on trust so destroyed irreparably, before commencement. Nations are not saved from bad governance when led by victims and offenders of sexual abuse. Global insurgency, crimes and wars are often championed, initiated and financed by victims of sexual abuse whose hopes for decent living had sometimes ago been traumatized, shattered or truncated by sexual abuse tyrannical experiences.
For victims not quickly rehabilitated, sexual abuse often serve as lead to other worse crimes in Eastern Nigeria, grandmothers and victims of sexual abuse were taking courses in Karate, boxing, wrestling to defend themselves in case of future attacks. Female undergraduates take knives, scissors and harmful instruments along while studying in the campuses at nights, for self defence.
In all wars, defence is a key strategy.
However, many reasons had often been advanced as possible causes. Weak criminal prosecution system, parental neglect, poverty of the pocket, soul and mind, unemployment, deficit socio-structures and value system- exemplified in dressings, insurgency, herbal medicine abuse among others.
The emphasis of this generation is on money, making monkeys and mockeries of flawed religious messages. Lack of fear of God, in my opinion is quite central to the abnormality. I can’t figure it how a 90year old man would feel on the top of a 3year minor!
The world needs the help of a supreme being. Nigerians, my fellows are gross church goers and mass mosque devotees but the real virtues these religions preach are virtually untraceable in us, while this writer is not an adherent of the traditional religion but curiously when traditional worship dominated the African socio-cultural development, these wicked acts of humans against humans in flagrant sexual abuses were not common place.
We must move forward, not backward. A sane mind would think of ways forward. More enlightenment activities for potential victims should be done through the media in schools, churches and mosques. There should be undercover agents in communities to protect potential victims, NGO’s, foundations and civil society organizations set up to help victims should move nearer to the grassroots, perhaps to be in all the 774 local governments in say, Nigeria.
Since they are usually more effective in prosecuting offenders, accessibility to them in various local communities would expedite the prosecution process. There should be speedy review of the criminal prosecution system relating to sexual offences.
It denigrates humanity; more severe punishment for offenders would serve as deterrents. Arguably, Indonesia, Saudi, Arab, UAE and many of these organizations of Islamic countries operating strict moral and Islamic based laws have low reported cases of rape and other sexual abuse or related offences. As a nation, we can emulate these countries in this area to reduce this heinous crime. Offenders should be blacklisted from certain responsibilities; where valid cases are established, such offenders should be blamed from teaching appointments or working in areas where minors or the female gender dominate.
Intelligent reporting before crimes are committed should be encouraged. There should be society intelligence officers who should be empowered to investigate potential rape or prospective sexual abuse cases and perform surveillance on likely predators before they have opportunities to commit these crimes. Our girls must be protected and offenders prosecuted.
Men folk who suffer sexual abuse should also be encouraged to report. It is unbelievable but it does happen that men fall victims to sexual abuse. Our campuses, organizations, institutions and homes should be cleared of sexually provocative dresses, films and attitudes censoring of local sales sexual stimulants, phonographic, absence and adult films would advance the save our girls from sexual abuse project.
Without doubts, sex stimulating films litter the film industry in Nigeria and this catalyst to sexual offence must be checked. The Nigeria Films Censors Board must be alive to its responsibilities.
Leadership of nations, especially in Africa must rise to tackling the hydra headed challenge of lack of access to education and poverties of unemployment which results in spiral negative effects including sexual abuses. It is far easier for an unemployed or frustrated jobless person to engage in drug abuse, negative peer influence, rape or sexual mismeanours than someone whose positive energy has been sapped under productive efforts, engagements and channeled towards a designed future.
As concerted efforts are beamed on vices such as sexual offences, there are greater tendencies for these vices to collapse under the weight of superior virtues, preached and practised in the pulpits, and among the pews. Fundamental human right of the girl child, minors and the feminine gender to say YES/NO to voluntary sex should not be trampled upon by the tyrannical dehumanization through sexual abuse. Wars of shed blood, cries of innocent helpless souls, wounded hearts, disaffected destinies should be avoided now and the future.
Apt to conclude with were the words of the former American President Truman, during the inauguration of the United Nations Chapter on Human Rights in 1949 that “regard for human rights is indispensable to political, economic and social progress….disregard of human rights is the beginning of tyranny and, too often, the beginning of war”.
Stop Sexual Abuse, Stop War!
By Dr. Ajibola Esuola.
Amid rising killings and a wave of mass abductions by gunmen and suspected terrorists across the country, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency.
The President, in a statement personally signed and released in Abuja, also ordered an immediate expansion of the manpower of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Government rushes to halt the worsening insecurity.
“Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces,” Tinubu said.
“By this declaration, the police and the army are authorised to recruit more personnel. The police will recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000.”
Tinubu explained that he had already approved upgrades of police training facilities nationwide and authorised the use of selected National Youth Service Corps camps as police training depots.
He added that officers withdrawn from VIP guard duties would undergo “crash training” before being redeployed to areas battling heightened insecurity.
The President also directed the Department of State Services to immediately deploy all trained forest guards to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in forests across the country. The DSS was further authorised to recruit additional personnel.
“There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil. This is a national emergency. We are deploying more boots on the ground, especially in vulnerable communities. The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we must all get involved in securing our nation,” he said.
Tinubu commended security agencies for jointly securing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State. He assured that efforts were ongoing to rescue students of Catholic schools in Niger State and other kidnapped Nigerians still in captivity.
“To the leadership and rank and file of our Armed Forces, I commend your courage and sacrifice. This is a challenging moment for our nation and for the military itself. I charge you to remain resolute, restore peace across all theatres of operation, and uphold the highest standards of discipline. There must be no compromise, no collusion, and no negligence,” he added.
The President announced that the Federal Government would support state governments operating community-based security outfits.
Tinubu also urged the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws that would allow states seeking to establish their own police forces to do so.
He warned states against maintaining boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security and advised churches and mosques in vulnerable areas to engage security agencies when organising large gatherings.
On the lingering farmer–herder clashes, Tinubu restated that the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development would provide long-term solutions. He appealed to herders to embrace ranching, end open grazing, and surrender illegal weapons.
“I sympathise with the families who have lost their loved ones in recent attacks on soft targets in Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, and Kwara states. I also pay tribute to our brave soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, including Brigadier-General Musa Uba,” he said.
Warning criminal groups not to undermine the state, Tinubu emphasised that his administration possessed the resolve and capacity to secure the country.
“Fellow compatriots, I urge you not to give in to fear or despair. Stand firm to defend our freedom and values. Our administration will continue to guarantee peaceful co-existence and preserve our union.”
He called on citizens to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with security agencies.
Tinubu’s declaration came amid nationwide outrage after the killing of at least five people in Kebbi and Kwara states, and the abduction of over 300 schoolchildren from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State.
The Presidency on Monday said the United States Government has expressed readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria through enhanced intelligence sharing, supply of defence equipment and other support to boost ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.
It said the commitment followed a series of engagements held last week in Washington, DC, between a high-level Nigerian delegation and top US officials aimed at strengthening bilateral security ties and opening new areas of collaboration.
The delegation, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met with senior officials from the US Congress, White House Faith Office, State Department, National Security Council and the Department of War.
Other members of the delegation included the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and two representatives from the Office of the NSA.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian team used the engagements to debunk allegations of genocide in the country, insisting that violent attacks cut across religious and ethnic divides.
Onanuga said the delegation also rejected what it described as the “wrongful framing” of Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that such portrayals risked further dividing citizens and misrepresenting realities on the ground.
“The discussions provided ample opportunity to correct misconceptions about Nigeria, forged a constructive, solution-driven partnership with the United States, reinforced mutual trust, and advanced a coordinated approach to protecting vulnerable communities, especially in the Middle Belt,” the statement read.
He added that the US expressed willingness to offer complementary support, including humanitarian assistance to affected populations in the Middle Belt and technical aid to strengthen early-warning mechanisms.
Onanuga said both countries agreed to immediately implement a non-binding cooperation framework and set up a Joint Working Group to coordinate agreed areas of collaboration. Nigeria, he added, reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing civilian protection measures.
“The Federal Government restates its awareness of heightened sensitivities regarding religious freedom and security, and urges citizens to remain assured that firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation,” he stated.
The development comes weeks after former US President Donald Trump threatened to deploy American forces to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if the government failed to halt what he described as the killing of Christians.
Trump, who also designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution, had on his Truth Social platform accused the government of allowing the “mass slaughter” of Christians and warned that Washington could cut aid and take military action.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” he wrote, adding that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for possible operations.
But President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly dismissed claims of genocide against Christians, maintaining that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom, tolerance and the protection of all citizens regardless of faith.
Suspected bandits have abducted four rice farmers in Bokungi community, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening while the victims were working on their farms during the peak of the harvest season. It came barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA of the state, killing two worshippers and abducting several others.
According to sources, the attackers stormed the farms suddenly and surrounded the farmers as they gathered their harvested rice.
“It has been confirmed that bandits struck again at Bokungi under the Lafiagi Emirate. Four people were abducted. Information is still emerging,” the sources said.
Residents said the gunmen operated for several minutes without resistance, forcing the farmers into a nearby bush before whisking them away to an unknown location.
Community members also lamented rising insecurity in Edu LGA, noting that several farming settlements had been abandoned as farmers now fear venturing out during the harvest period when they are most vulnerable.
The Kwara State Police Command and the state government had yet to comment on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
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