By Okhide Em’ya David
Edo State Coordinator of Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response Team ( SGBV-RT), Barrister Charity Ebosele, says 150 cases of rape and sexual violence were reported and 20 Persons Convicted in the State during the third quarter of 2020.
Barrister Charity Ebosele made the disclosure at a one-day sensitization/Program, organized by the Edo State NOA on a topic: “Curbing of the Increasing Wave of Rape and Gender Based Violence, Response Team,'” in Benin city.
She cautioned the men to stop using all forms of abuse, especially rape against women.
The Counsel observed however that it was not only men who rape, but some women also raped men, but that men were more involved in the unlawful act than women and advised married men to seek the consent of their wives before having sex.
Barrister Ebosele said any forceful act against a spouse even if they were lawfully married for the purpose of sex is rape.
Barrister Ebosele said during Covid-19 era the Edo State Sexual Assault Referral Centre ( SARC), recorded high cases of rape and sexual violence. She begged the participants to report cases of rape and sexual violence to the Centre.
Her words: “In our society today, men rape women, women rape men. And the same goes for boys and girls. There is no day in the country, without a reported case of sexual violence, especially rape in the media and police stations.”
” Like a canker worm, the office of rape has eaten deep into our society. When such situations arises, the victims/survivors shy away from reporting the cases at that point, and such issues are often dead-end. In ending the menace, sensitization play great role. And should be taken to the grass roots,” she lamented.
Edo State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs. Grace Ewere, earlier, in her speech, said the Agency “in it’s quest to continuously inform the general public, and other relevant Stakeholders organized this event to discuss and meaningful engaged our people on issues, that are germane to health living amongst the people and enhancement of Economic Growth in Nigeria.”
“The policies and topics lined up to be discussed are very apt at this moment, when social vices have taken Central stage in our national discourse. The need to talk about them , Publicize them and offer solutions to these vices cannot be over-emphasized.”
Delivering a lecture on: The National Action Against Drug Abuse: Trafficking and other Social Vices, the Public Relations Officer of NDLEA, Ofoyeju Mitchell outlined the effects of drugs abuse as; damage to health and body organ, depression, psychosis, early death.
The Spokesperson for the Edo State Command of the NDLEA said other are: destitution, prostitution, increase in crimes, family disintegration and sleeplessness. “The World Drug Report, 2020, stated that Cannabis is the most used substance, while opioids are the most harmful.”
“An estimated 192 million people used Cannabis in 2018, making it the most used drug globally. In comparison, 58 million people used opioids in 2018. This accounted for 66per cent of the estimated 167,000 deaths Related to drug use disorder in 2017.”
He says: “And 50 per cent of the 42 million years or 21 million years lost due to disability or early death, attributed to drug use. More than 11 million people injected drug, while 1.4 million PWID are living with HIV, 5.5 million with hepatitis C and 1.2 million are living with both hepatitis C and HIV,”
The Chairman of the Round table discussion, and Chairman, Edo state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Sir Roland Osakue, in an opening address remarked that recognition or identification of a social challenge and proceeding lasting solutions is the fundamental step of acknowledging and resolving the problem which the discussants were gathered to brain storm on.
Sir Osakue enjoined the participants to pay detailed attention to the issues at stake to be able to move Nigeria forward as the Challenge of rape and other forms of domestic violence especially against women were eating deep into the very fabric of the society and setting the pace for over-all development backwards .
The Program later dissolved into a question and answer session..
