A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar and a former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, have raised alarm over increase in rape cases across the country.
They noted that the trend has become worrisome considering the class of victims in recent times.
Anenih, who is also one-time Women Leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), expressed concern over the “monstrous dimension the prevalence of rape has attained in the society” attributing it to drug abuse, pop culture, undue publicity sex is given through internet and pornography as well as all manner of social dysfunctions.
She lamented that although there are laws against rape, there is hardly any day that an incident is not recorded.
Both Justice Mukhtar and Chief Anenih spoke at a public lecture tagged “War Against Rape And Sexual Molestation in Our Country Nigeria,” organized by Miss Charming Nigeria 2017, Queen Precious Nwodo in collaboration with the Centre of Social Justice and Human Rights and MTN at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.
Mukhtar was represented by the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Ngozika P. Emehelu, while Anenih was represented by Engineer (Mrs) Chinwe Mba of the Women Foundation of Nigeria.
Mukhtar decried incidents of men old enough to be grandfathers molesting children while young girls and sometimes young boys are abused sexually by those who are supposed to take care of them, stressing that even adults are not spared.
The former Chief justice said victims of rape must learn to report to their relations and someone in authority as quickly as possible, noting that reporting is not a sign of weakness.
