Remi Akano, a veteran journalist and public affairs commentator, is the Chief Vision Steward, Kingdom Men Global Network, a ministry to men. In this interview, he spoke on the rising cases of rape in Nigeria and how it could be curbed. Excerpt:

How do you see the rising cases of rape in the country?

It is disturbing. I am a father and grandfather. You can imagine each time another case is reported, I ask myself what could have happened if the victim was to be my daughter or granddaughter, cousin or sister in the church. I am worried about the society where such dehumanising actions occur. This is because women do the procreation. When they are traumatised, it affects their ability to play their role as wives, daughters and leaders. We have leaders who are females. You see that they do not like the men. They do not treat their male workers well. It may be due to their experiences. Incidence of rape is not an issue that should be on the back burner. I am very sad about it. As a ministry, Kingdom Men Global Network, we know our work in this area needs to be increased.

Some of the recent cases came with the killing of the rape victims. Why do you think the rapists now kill the victims?

I do not want to be misunderstood. People may not like what I will say. Once men get into the state of mind that leads them to rape, they carry out the inhuman act. Having known the consequences of the action, the next thing is to try to destroy the evidence and the eye witness. When they find themselves in such a mess, the next thing that comes into their mind is murder. People see sex as a weapon. Some rape to dominate and to punish. In the campuses, cultists punish girls who reject their love advances by raping them. So, they attackers try to cover their crimes by removing the eye witness, which is the victim.

Would you say the rise in cult activities in the society also contribute to the increase in rape cases in the country?

Because there are gangs, one of the terrible things they do is to show supremacy by raping each other’s women. This could have an impact. When cult leaders want to show supremacy over the other, they rape their opponents’ women. Perhaps what we see today is the rise. We have to give it more attention. But, I have to stress that the rise in sexual violence is not just a Nigerian issue. It is a global issue.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, recently said the nation recorded 710 cases of rape from January till June. How reliable do you see this figure in a nation where data is unreliable?

Within the first two weeks of the lockdown due to Coronavirus, the rise in domestic violence was alarming. It was brought to our notice in a group I belong to as heads of men’s organisations. The IGP’s figure is indicative. We know that rape cases are not often reported for several reasons. From the actions of those that are raped, some organisations, the police stations, the commissioners and then to the IGP’s office, within this chain, many cases are swept under the carpet or quietly resolved at a corner. Many abandon the cases because the road to justice is slow. In some police stations, there are Domestic Violence Desks. But, they are not funded. You report a case of rape or domestic violence, there is no cash or budget to buy fuel or to call an UBER. They fold their hands in distress or ask the victim to bring money for transport. These are some of the reasons behind the figure the IGP brought out. It can only be indicative.

Some people are suggesting incarceration, while others are for life imprisonment or even death. What type of punishment would you suggest for rapists?

Having been in the men’s ministry for long, I found out that we are backing a wrong tree when we think about punishment. Incarceration, death sentence, a rapist deserves whatever he gets as punishment. Raping one is to violate one’s humanity and essence. I don’t care. A rapist deserves the kind of punishment he gets. That is on a personal level.

We have spent a lot of money making laws. Once there is an offence, there should be consequences. But, what if we can reduce bad behavior than waiting for it to happen so that there will be punishment? We have left the development of men to the individual to handle. Unlike the female, the male-child does not get the attention they deserve. One of the most important things taken from men from the beginning is love. We teach them to fight, to retaliate. A boy who does not understand and value love cannot use sex for love. He cannot grow up to understand sex in the context of love. He sees sex as something to enjoy and if someone does not allow him to take it, he takes it by force. Some of these rapists in their 20s and 30s were not brought up rightly. That is why they use sex as weapon. (Saturday Independent)

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