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TABOO: Man rapes mother, mother-in-law; blames act on alcohol
A 32-year-old, Shekari David, who allegedly raped his mother and mother-in -law, has blamed his action on alcohol.
David was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, in connection with robbery and rape in Kaura Local Government area of Kaduna State.
Police sources said the suspect, during interrogation, blamed his action on drunkenness.
Currently detained at the Katari Police Division in Kaduna State, suspect also confessed that he had, on two occasions raped his own mother aged 65, and his mother in-law 70 in the dead of the night while they were sleeping. He said his behaviour made his wife to abandon him for another man.
Sources at IRT David ran into trouble recently when police operatives who were deployed to Kaduna State, by the IGP to combat the high rate of kidnapping, armed robbery and violent crimes, got information that David and members of his gang who specialized in snatching motorcycles from their owners at gun point, were planning to carry out an operation in Kaura Local Government area.
It was learnt that David was arrested with the aid of some vigilance group men in his hideout in Manchie area of Kaura Local Government Area.
A stolen motorcycle was also recovered from him.
The source added that the vigilance men identified David as a notorious rapist, who specialized in raping old women in Manchie and environs.
The source said: “It was some vigilance men that assisted us in arresting David, when we came to Manchie to look for him. We found him and his gang members in their hideout; we arrested them and recovered a motorcycle from them.
‘’The vigilanc men also informed us that David has been a major threat to old women living in their community and has formed the habit of sneaking into their apartments at night to rape them. They (vigilance men) said he(David) had on two occasions raped his own mother and mother in-law and promised to turn a new leaf, when he was caught by the vigilance group. They added that David’s activities had thrown old women in the community into panic as they now shut their doors completely at night and could no longer sleep with their two eyes closed.”
In his confession, David said: “I am a farmer and I was once married, but my wife abandoned me due to my penchant for raping old women. I don’t know if I am under a spell but whenever I am drunk, a spirit comes into me and I will be going around town looking for women to rape.
‘’I have been beaten up over this issue severally, yet, I can’t still control myself whenever I get drunk. I raped my mother during our last Moroha Festival, when I got drunk. I couldn’t find any old woman to rape and when I got home, I found my mother sleeping and I penetrated and raped her.
‘’My mother screamed when she saw me on top of her and our neighbours gathered. Everyone saw that I was drunk and when I became sober I begged her to forgive me and she accepted. When my wife heard about it, she was angry and she left home and went back to her parents and later found another man who married her.
‘’Not long after that , I attended another festival in my wife’s community known as Mahuta and I became drunk again; in the dead of the night I went to my ex-wife mother’s house and found her sleeping and I raped her.
‘’When the woman woke up and saw me on top of her, she shouted and people came around, and caught me. I was given the beating of my life before I was asked to go. I don’t know what usually comes over me when I am drunk. That spirit is what normally pushes me to rape old women, “ he added.
- Source: The Nation.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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