Religious Sisters of Charity, a religious order of Reverend Sisters in the Catholic Church has condemned recent incidents of rape around the country, calling on the government to institute laws that will curb this social vice. They spoke during a march against rape organized by the congregation of Religious Sisters of Charity in Satellite Town with other lay faithful who carried placards to condemn the incidences of rape within Nigeria. The Reverend Sisters marched from the Archangel Catholic Church in Satellite Town to Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA) where they spoke to the representative of the Chairman of the LCDA on why the incidences of rape around the area and other parts of the country should be taken seriously.
They called for the protection of the girl child, warning that rape is barbaric, crude and a criminal offence and those who indulge in it must desist from such act. Speaking on behalf of the Religious Sisters of Charity, Reverend Sister Justina Nelson said the girl child is robbed of her dignity and her entire being when raped, explaining that there is need to collaborate with the government to fight this vice and eradicate it within the Nigerian society. Speaking on behalf of the Executive Chairman of Oriade Local Council Development Area Hon. Akiola Hassan, the Head of Health section of the LCDA, Hon Ajayi Bashiru said the LCDA will be ready to support the Church towards eradicating the vice.
He said rape is an ugly incident which should not be allowed to thrive in the Nigerian society, adding that the LCDA unites with the Church and the Religious Sister of Charity to say “No” to rape. Bashiru urged the Church to also seek the assistance of the LCDA whenever necessary to help eradicate the vice. According to him, there is need to propagate the message and ensure that it sinks into the society, so that people will know that rape is a crime and must not be allowed to thrive. The Catholic Church had in recent messages condemned the incidences of rape, noting that rape cases targeting women in Africa’s most populous country have been on the rise in recent times and must be condemned. The Metropolitan Archbishop of Lagos, Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins, had described as “appalling and reprehensible” the increased cases of the crime of Rape around Nigeria. Archbishop Martins described rape as an affront to God who created girls and women. It is also an affront to the sacredness of the bodies of victims.
He said: “The Holy Scriptures and the Church down through the ages have condemned all sexual perversion including rape. The Church has always taught that, “Rape deeply wounds the respect, freedom, physical and moral integrity of the victim. It causes grave damage to the victim, sometimes for life. Rape is an intrinsically evil act that is even more grave and condemnable when inflicted on children either by parents (incest) or those who exercise any form of authority over them especially those responsible for their education.
