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."
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