The Adamawa Coalition Against Rape (ACAR), a body of civil society organisations with an aversion for rape, has staged a protest against rape, demanding castration, or at least life sentence for rapists.
The Coalition carried out a march against rape at the state capital, Yola, on Friday, saying the state government has given verbal assurances to move decisively against rape but has failed to go beyond promises one year after.
Convener of the coalition, Hajiya Asma’u Joda, said the absence of deliberate move by way of a legislated stiff penalty has given some characters the courage that they are free to set themselves loose on defenseless women and girls.
“We’ve had how instances of rape have risen sharply especially since this COVID-19 pandemic began,” Asma’u Joda said during a news interview session with newsmen at Police Roundabout, Jimeta, venue of the ‘Match Against Rape.’
She said the Match Against Rape was mainly to mark one year of activism against rape by ACAR and to remind the state government to match words with action.
She recalled that ACAR first staged its anti-rape protest on September 18, 2019; and said although Adamawa has had one full year of street campaigns against rape as coordinated by ACAR, other states have gone ahead of Adamawa in enacting appropriate anti-rape laws.
She said, “Despite promises by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Adamawa State and the Right Honourable Speaker, nothing has happened on the ground.”
She commended Ekiti, Kano, and Kaduna states for now having laws stipulating castration or death, and Nasarawa State for taking an anti-rape bill to second reading so far, and charged Adamawa State to make its own moves.
“We appeal to our state House of Assembly to do something. We hope the Executive will present a bill with life-shattering consequences to discourage rape,” she added.
The Nation