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CSOs raise alarm over growing incidents of rape for ritual

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They raised the alarm in a joint statement signed by Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga of Centre for Impact Advocacy (CIA) and Ariyo-Dare Atoye of Adopt a Goal, in Abuja.

Ogunlana-Nkanga and Atoye described the situation as very alarming, which called for urgent intervention.

“It is eating deeper into our localities; it is spreading faster and debasing our women and destroying our girls.

“The unabated cases of rape, in general, are bad enough and deserve capital punishment.

“We must do everything to fight it; however, this aspect of rape for rituals which has not featured prominently in public and intentional discourse must be addressed with a different approach,” they said.

Ogunlana-Nkanga and Atoye also said: “rape is rape, and it must be confronted and fought to a standstill.

They said that the current public and global actions against rape could not significantly address the worrisome trend of rape for rituals.

“This aspect of rape is done for ritual purposes and spiritual cleansing, and it is embedded in occultism and voodooism.

“Rape for ritual has eaten deeper into our communities, even as more women and girls now live in fear.

“Unfortunately, some notorious traditional herbalists, occultic practitioners, and ritualists have been found to be culpable in the unconscionable and barbaric practices of recommending women and girls for violation and ritual,” they said.

The organization’s leaders said that there were also other degrees of rape for rituals, which seem normal, but which have not received any significant responses and actions.

They said, “this aspect of rape, will require a different methodology and actions, while activists and actors are combating rising cases of rape in general.”



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