War against Rape, Domestic Violence: HURMA Seeks Joint Collaboration

War against Rape, Domestic Violence: HURMA Seeks Joint Collaboration

Friday, November 18, 2016 12:06 pm


 Comrade Isiak Olaitan Buna, National coordinator of HURMA, addressing the public during a sensitization walk against rape and domestic violence, at the Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos on Wednesday. With his is Hon. Rotimi Olowo of LSHA, representative of Shomolu Constituency 1.

Comrade Isiak Olaitan Buna, National coordinator of HURMA, addressing the public during a sensitization walk against rape and domestic violence, at the Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos on Wednesday. With his is Hon. Rotimi Olowo of LSHA, representative of Shomolu Constituency 1.


A human rights group, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), has called on all Nigerians to join forces together in combating rape and domestic violence in the country.

The group made the call during a sensitisation walk against rape, domestic violence and other human rights abuse, held in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State on Wednesday.

The walk with the theme: “United Action Walk Against Rape And Domestic Violence”, the group’s National coordinator and legal adviser, Comrade Olaitan Isiak Buna and Barr. Lekan Alabi, said the only way every community in the country can overcome the scourge is by collaborating with each other and report to appropriate authority.

Speaking on the theme, Comrade Buna said: “the alarming rate at which our girls child are raped and our women abused almost on daily basis, has prompted this urgent action of a “United Action Walk Against Rape And Domestic Violence.

“The objective of this sensitisation is to unite all stakeholders in our society in the battle to tackle this acts. This is to ensure that no section in our community will provide save heaven for offenders”.

Comrade Buna expressed dismay on the act which he said his group receive reports almost on daily basis from victims of the acts, but said only few ones have the courage to report physically, due to several reasons, including threat from offenders.

He however stated that with the latest agreed united action against the heinous act, victim can now report the case to any organized sector of the society, which includes; Market leaders, transport unions, palaces, hospitals, Constituency offices, Local Government secretariats, Police stations and N.G.O offices.

Comrade Buna on behalf of his group appreciated and commended the latest position of the Lagos State Government, in tackling the menace of rape.

The move he said would enable all rape victims to visit the Lagos State University Teaching Hospitals (LASUTH), for proper attendance without tampering with what could provide evidence.

He however said though the policy is a good one but called of the victim’s family and relations not to be tired and withdraw to fate, if the road to justice is considered stressful.

“Most victims are poor and cannot always combine the burden of transporting themselves to a distance place, jam-packed with several activities, with the psychological burden of the rape experience.

“It is therefore our suggestion that government should always contact grassroots actors before initiating any policy that affects the masses.

We request also that government should equip all Local Government General Hospitals with human and material equipment to tackle the issue”.

The least that government can do is to equip the local government to take over the burden of transporting victims to the present position of treatment in LASUTH and not to leave them to face the burden by themselves.

However in the interim, the present synergy is determined to fill the gap of transporting victims to the position where they will be attended to without delay.

Also speaking at the event was Honourable Olowo Rotimi, representing Shomolu Constituency 1, at Lagos State House of Assembly, who called on would-be victims to always report to the Constitutional authority and human rights groups once such incidence occurred.

The sensitisation was in collaboration with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team; Campaign Against Impunity and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV); Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA); Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC); Muslim group represented by the Chief Imam of Shomolu; Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Representative Iyaloja General of Shomolu; Police and Directorate of State Security (DSS) and Representative Oba of Shomolu.


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