A cross section of Nigerians believe that the castration of rapists would go a long way to reduce the alarming rate of sex related offences in the country. This is the outcome of a survey carried out regarding possible ways of curbing the alarming trend. Only recently Mr. Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police gave the shocking revelation that over 717 rape cases were reported nationwide just in five months. The number, according to crime watchers, may be grossly inadequate for the fact that several of these assaults on the female gender, in most cases, are not mentioned for fear of stigmatization of the victims, or that the parents of the girls or minors who are raped by the so-called powerful men in the society are scared to speak up, among other cultural practices that shield off these randy men from the pit of hell from being tried and jailed.
We sought to know from a cross section of the society, their take on this disturbing development and how to nip in the bud the scourge that has gripped Nigeria in recent times, especially in the period of the lockdown with miscreants venting their anger on the society they claim has no future for them. The most painful and agonizing side of it, from what we gathered, are fathers going after their daughters or step-daughters, uncles after their nieces, the females, though in the minority, going after young boys, all to satisfy their lust. For Mr. Okoronkwo Uneke, a retired civil servant from Ebonyi State, to forcefully have carnal knowledge of someone without her consent is barbaric and unacceptable in a sane society. Responding to what could have been behind the rising incidents of rape in Nigeria, Mr. Uneke blamed it on drug abuse and addiction and that some of these rapists are cult members who are hostile to the opposite sex.
The social media, he said, is also a contributing factor. According to him, not only the children but adults watch these obscene images and act on impulse; again, lack of parental control gives young minds the opportunity to practice what they see and hear. He advocated stiffer penalties, including castration to deter those nursing the evil intention to rape either for ritual purposes or revenge. Mr. Clement Bamigboye, a Lagos based business man said it is a nightmare for parents when their daughters are raped. He encouraged victims of rape to speak up, that way those behind the dastardly act would be exposed and punished according to the law. He rejected the idea of sending rapists to correctional centres, but instead they should be castrated or sentenced to life imprisonment.
A Lagos based model and fashion designer, Miss Helen Oko, said for a young promising girl to be raped is not only condemnable but remains a permanent scar that could haunt her for the rest of her life. She blamed the men who, she noted, lacked self-control or are guided by what she called evil spirit. Culprits should be castrated and those who kill in the shameful act should also be made to pay the maximum price, she emphasized. And for Mrs. Theresa Kanu, a caterer, rape is not what someone in the right frame of mind should think about. As a mother she feels bad hearing the indecent assault on women, young girls and minors by those she described as beasts who should be tamed through castration or be put behind bars to teach them a lesson. The call for castration for the rapists many believe would render them impotent and keep them permanently at bay from having anything to do with the opposite sex.
