The Spotlight Initiative, in partnership with the United Nations (UN), has identified lack of prosecution of rape perpetrators in Adamawa as the major factor hampering the fight against the menace.
Dr. Danladi Saleh, State Coordinator, United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), raised the alarm during a one-day stakeholders’ consultation meeting on Gender-Based Violence prevention and mitigation, held on Monday in Yola.
The meeting was organised by Spotlight Initiative Intervention, in conjunction with the UN and the European Union.
Saleh expressed dismay over lack of prosecution of rape perpetrators adding that it was hampering efforts aimed at controlling the crime.
“We conducted a survey in Adamawa last year about the prevalence of rape cases and we discovered that it has increased to 38 per cent due to many factors.
“In one year, we recorded over 200 rape cases in Yola, and to our dismay none of the offenders were convicted.
“The situation has created a huge gap so far in the mitigation and prevention of Gender-Based Violence in the state,’’ Saleh said.
Mrs. Grace Musa, of the Rule of Law and Anti Corruption Programme, an Adamawa based NGO, said that from March 27, 2018 to date, about 222 rape cases were recorded by the Adamawa Hope Centre.
Musa expressed worry that out of this number, only thirty cases were mentioned in the courts across the state.
She said rape, according to the law, is purely criminal, and lamented that most of the rape cases in Adamawa, before reaching courts, were often changed and reduced to assault cases.
She called on appropriate authorities to take a critical look into the matter and bring a lasting solution to incidents of rape in the state.
Stakeholders at the meeting collectively agreed to expand community sensitisation against rape in the state. (NAN)
