The National Council for Women’s Societies (NCWS), Nigeria, Anambra State branch in collaboration with other affiliates led by the branch Coordinator, Barrister Ify Chijioke, yesterday paid a visit to the Commissioner of Police Anambra State, CP John Abang at the State Command headquarters, Awka after a peaceful rally with a banner tagged “Protest against Rape in Anambra State.”
The purpose of the rally, according to the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Haruna Mohammed in a statement in Awka yesterday, was to raise awareness against rape and make Anambra State free from sexual violence.
Speaking during the visit, the Coordinator, Barr. Ify Chijioke appealed to the CP to ensure discreet investigation of all rape cases in order to serve as deterrence to potential offenders in the State.
Responding, the Commissioner of Police, CP John Abang welcomed them to the State command headquarters and assured them of his maximum support towards realising their goal of ensuring that all the suspects involved in rape cases are brought to justice.
The CP further stated that the command under his watch will continue to partner with the NCWS, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and other stakeholders especially in the area of advocacy and monitoring in order to ensure diligent investigation and prosecution of rape and other offences in the state.
The CP also revealed that between January 2020 and now, the command has recorded 15 cases of rape out of which 12 cases were charged to Court and still on trial, 16 suspects arrested and three cases under investigation.
For some weeks now, rape cases has been on the rise in Nigeria. When Seyitan Babatayo tweeted on June 3 that veteran Afrobeats pop star Dbanj raped her in 2018, she might have been expecting he could sue her for defamation of character but probably not that she would be arrested by the police who she claimed proceeded to intimidate her.
Following an outpouring of support and outrage from Nigeria’s civil society groups and social media users, Babatayo regained her freedom two days later on June 18 but not before deleting the accusatory tweets about Dbanj, 40, whose real name is Oladapo Oyebanjo. In addition a tweet with Dbanj’s photo was posted on her account alongside a reconciliatory caption, a move many suspected was coerced.
But late on Tuesday (June 23), Babatayo released a statement claiming four police officers, pretending to be delivery men, arrested her in her home without a warrant, and after 48 hours in jail, Dbanj’s team took her to an undisclosed location, where they made her sign a gag order.
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