The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) and Al-Muminaat Social Advocacy Project (SAP) yesterday urged the police command in Oyo state to prosecute the son of a transport union worker that raped a veiled woman in Ibadan, Oyo State capital on Sunday.
The perpetrator, identified as Idris (aka Kesari) has since been arrested and remanded in prison by a court.
Executive Chairman of MPAC Disu Kamor said there is no way any society should tolerate violent abuse of women and blatant violation of decency.
“We therefore urge swift prosecution of the perpetrator of this heinous crime and the stiffest punishment possible. We commend the police at the promptness of the action. Nigerian law-enforcement agencies should not allow violent violation of women and the breaches of the sanctity of the mosque go unpunished,” he said.
According to him, women have the right to live or worship without fear and in peace without having their body and honour violated by predators.
He said the perpetrator of the cruel act should be punished as a rotten criminal that he is.
SAP Coordinator Sherifah Yusuf-Ajibade described the incident as shocking, stating that the crime “is heart wrenching and demeaning. We demand that the rapist be prosecuted accordingly. He must be made to get the full wrath of the law”.
SAP called on human rights activists and well-meaning Nigerians to follow this issue to ensure that it is not swept under the carpet.
She said: “We need to ensure that the culprit is made to feel the full wrath of the law so that others like him are not emboldened to violate women without consequence. Nigerian women will be disempowered if they are scared of leaving their homes, as this horrible crime has shown that women are not safe anywhere; in their homes, their educational and business environments and even in places of worship. It will be as though they are living in an open prison.
“The violation of this Muslim woman is a crime against all women and all those who believe in protecting the rights of women. Coming together to help us secure justice for this veiled woman is coming together to help protect all Nigerian women.”
She called on the State Government to ensure justice for the victim “so that miscreants and criminals will know that they will not be tolerated in Oyo State. The government agencies responsible for providing medical and psychological support for rape survivors should provide free care for this woman so that finances do not prevent her from getting all the help that she requires.”
