The First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, on Wednesday, took to all her social media platforms to strongly condemn rape.
She called on the Ministry of Women Affairs, security agencies and all other relevant bodies to take rape cases seriously and ensure that justice is served to the perpetrators of this dastard act.
Mrs Buhari’s appeal came few days after an undergraduate, Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, was gruesomely raped and murdered in a church, in Edo state.
An 18-year-old girl, Barakat Bello, a student of the Federal College of Animal and Production Technology, Moore Plantation, Ibadan, Oyo state capital, was reportedly raped and murdered.
She wrote, “It is devastating to hear about the gruesome death of our daughters who were mercilessly raped by men, who in some cases are their fathers, brothers, and protectors of their chastity.
“Women are increasingly becoming vulnerable in a society that is expected to guaranty their safety and we owe it a duty to do everything possible to protect them.
“Last year, I started working with governors’ wives of the 36 states to end gender-based violence in Nigeria. I launched a campaign with the governors’ wives and other stakeholders and issued a statement nation-wide in response to increasing and frequent reports of GBV with the slogan – Leave our daughters alone!
“This was followed by a planned advocacy for the constitution of a presidential task force on ending GBV in Nigeria; prospective members were identified. The objective is to review the policy and legal framework on GBV with a view to proposing strengthening measures and an improvement plan.
“In view of the recent developments, I, therefore, call on all stakeholders especially the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs as well as legal and security agencies to expedite action so that justice takes its course accordingly.
“I will continue to work with the governors’ wives to ensure that relevant structures and policy frameworks are put in place to end gender-based violence in Nigeria.”