'Avoid being raped by your boyfriends'

The Nigeria Police on Tuesday raised the alarm over the increasing reported cases of rape and warned ladies against falling prey to the gimmicks of their male companions.

The police said they had uncovered the tactics prospective rapists use to snare their victims.

They added that the criminal act was one of the fastest growing crimes globally, hence the need to educate Nigerians on the menace, with a view to making them stay out of trouble.

Deputy Force Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abayomi Shogunle, wrote on Twitter that young girls and ladies should be wary of the emergency calls they receive from their male friends who feign illnesses.

The police spokesman said experience had shown that potential rapists now feign illness to lure their girlfriends and other female companions to their homes.

He advised that if you are not a nurse or a medical doctor, you should not honour the invitation.

“Ladies, a guy calls you on the telephone and says ‘I’m sick, please come to my house.’ Are you a medical doctor or a nurse? Don’t go. That is a guy’s scope for rape,” Shogunle tweeted.

While urging ladies to be more vigilant and careful in their dealings, the police noted that although rape was usually not the victim’s fault, many of them live with the scar forever.

“Rape is a fast growing global crime. It is never the victim’s fault, yet many victims of rape carry the scar and guilt forever,” the police added on its official Facebook page.

Shogunle said there was no excuse whatsoever for rapists who claim ignorance of the law; adding that it was imperative for men, both young and old, to draw the line between consensual sex and rape.

He advised that men should solicit permission and consent for every intimate advances or sexual activity with the opposite sex. He warned that crossing the red line could be tantamount to spending a life-time in jail.

“Guys, please take a lady’s ‘No’ as no and not a ‘Na shakara, she won do’ stuff. Punishment for rape is 14 years or life jail term!” Shogunle warned.

The police have also enjoined parents and guardians to be wary of child sexual molesters, especially close acquaintances, within their neighbourhoods.

A message on the police Facebook page stated that there had been an upsurge in cases of sexual molestation of minors by those the Force described as “some ungodly adult males.”

It said the majority of sexual molestations of children, especially the girl-child, happen at homes with male domestic helps; and presumed family friends being the leading culprits.

“Parents should guard against allowing their daughters to sit on the laps of presumed male family members or family friends who often take undue advantage of the child and abuse them sexually. Caution must be exercised when placing the girl-child on motorcycles, so that they do not sit on the bike directly facing the rider instead of backing them,” the police advised.

Meanwhile, some Nigerians have called on women to steer clear of risk factors associated with rape. In their messages to the police, they unanimously condemned the crime, but argued that some victims should also share part of the blame.

For Shanu Majekodunmi, the police should live up to its mandate in enforcing the law and also enlightening the public on safety measures to prevent the crime.

He said police should hold enlightenment programmes for ladies about the dangers they are exposed to through suggestive dressing and lewd attitude towards men.

“We should also understand that the blame could also be placed on the ladies who dress indecently. Police should come up with different enlightenment initiatives. Also, training on self defence tactics could also be considered,” Majekodunmi wrote on Facebook.

One Rafael Egbogbo said young ladies had a big role to play in reducing the incidence of rape.

Writing on the police Facebook page, Ogbogbo said, “A large percentage of rape victims are the ones that trigger the offenders with the way they dress, paying visits to unknown Internet ‘friends’ even when they don’t know the (friends’) ulterior motive. In fact, ladies in this digital age extort money and other valuable items from men they meet on the Internet, even when they really don’t want to go out with him.

“I am not legalising rape, but fingers are to be pointed at some of the victims. This is because the police are not omnipresent such that they can be of help everywhere and everytime. Women should also help themselves to reduce this crime.”