Rape Charge Against Kogi Commissioner Highlights Women Rights’ Issues

By GWG Staff

The allegation of rape made by a former beauty queen, Ms. Elizabeth Oyeniyi against a serving Commissioner in Kogi state, Abdulmuminu Danga has again brought to the fore the question of women’s rights in the polity.

For fear that the case may go the way of others, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) had to appeal to the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice; National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); the Inspector General of Police; and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to take over the investigations of the alleged sexual attacks.

HURIWA warned that the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, may not be keen to take drastic measures to punish the Commissioner.

Latest reports say Bello has ordered an investigation into the incidence.

Ms. Oyeniyi had alleged that she was raped thrice on the night after she was allegedly brutalized by aides of the commissioner for a supposedly provocative social media posting.  

Her case is, however, not the first case of the seeming precarious situation of women in Kogi State.

During the Kogi State governorship election last November the polity was also shaken with the harrowing narration of the murder of a PDP woman leader in the state, Mrs. Salome Abuh.

She was killed and set ablaze on November 18 in her husband’s house at Ochadamu, Ofu Local Government by hoodlums.

The brutal murder of the woman which shook the nation has till today not been resolved.

Before the election the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Natasha Akpoti also raised the alarm on several occasions that her life was been threatened.

Before the election and even after the alarms she had raised, the state secretariat of her party was set ablaze by thugs she alleged were sent by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.

The three cases according to observers may not be all as there are fears that there are other cases which may not have been reported.

Ms. Oyeniyi for example alleged that she was threatened not to speak after her alleged brutalization but overcame the threats to voice out the alleged treatment.

Speaking on the issue, former Kogi Commissioner of Women Affairs, Mrs. Bolanle Amupitan said that Kogi issues are extension of the larger issues of women in the society globally “and that is why opinion leaders and policy makers are doing everything possible to bring the issues into a discourse for possible solutions through inputs from all strata of life and endeavors.

She said her office came up with thematic areas like: Advocacy, Sensitization (Which results in victims speaking out), Executive bills forwarded to the state house of assembly to facilitate prosecution, collaboration with stakeholders like the office of the state First Lady to empower, train and educate the girl child are few of the efforts made to bring cases of such to its nearest minimum.

“Another very helpful provisions of the law that came handy during my tenure was Child Right Law which helps a lot in arresting and prosecution of culprits that infringes on the right of the children.

“In the same vein the curves of Women’s unpalatable experiences can be flattened or at best keep in check if some of the intended bills like Gender and equal opportunity bills, violence against persons (VAP) initiated during my tenure becomes laws. Domestication of the Child right Law in the State has helped in putting to check and prosecution of violators and reduced incidence of child abuse,” she added.

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