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A group of protesters, under the aegis of Women’s Voices Leadership Project sponsored by Actionaid and Global Affairs, Canada, stormed the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja to protest the spate of deaths resulting from rising cases of sexual assault in the country.
This is coming bearly 24 hours after a similar protest took place as members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in company of Hon. Dennis Idahosa, lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency, occupied major streets in Benin City to protest the killing of University of Benin (UNIBEN) undergraduate, Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, who was raped by unknown men and eventually died in the state.
The protesters marched to the Police Headquarters on Friday, demanding justice for the rape and killing of Miss Vera, Miss Bello Barakat and other victims in the country, while calling on the Force to devise effective strategies to stem the growing menace of gender-based violence in the country.
They also called on state governments of the federation to not only domesticate the Violence Against People Prohibition Act and the Child Rights Act, but to ensure strict enforcement so as to bring to a halt the issue of rape and incest.
After a long walk with placards, the group formally presented their demands to a representative of the Inspector-General of Police.
Recall Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 22-year-old microbiology student of UNIBEN died after being brutally assaulted and raped by unknown men in a church in Benin.
Barakat Bello, a student of Institute of Agriculture, Research and Training in Ibadan, was also raped and stabbed to death in her parents’ house.
