Corona-Lockdown in Nigeria: An epidemic of violence

The women on the 5. June through the streets of Nigerian cities moved, were wearing Black and were angry. Your message to the male compatriots, she stopped on a black-and-yellow signs in the height. "Not raped us! Don't kill us! Leave us alone!“ Out of concern for the health or fear of the police, many of the demonstrators wore the inside of the masks in front of the mouth and nose. According to the Johns Hopkins University in a state with a population of about 200 million, so far, 525 with Sars are in Nigeria,-CoV,-2-infected persons have died.

Thilo Thielke

Free Rapporteur for Africa, based in Cape town.

The women who were in Lagos, Abuja and Benin-city on the road, wanted to draw attention to the escalation of violence against them and their children. Under the Hashtag #WeAreTired they joined together. As the Corona broke out pandemic, also prescribed by the government of the West African Ölstaats strict measures. A Lockdown was imposed. In mega cities like Lagos with about 20 million inhabitants, is Hungry for food then raided the transports and domestic violence increased.

Some cases of shock made lines. For example, the murder of the 22-year-old student Vera Uwaila Omosuwa from the state of Edo. They had retreated to the coastal town of Benin-city to Learn in a Church and was raped. Three days later, she died of her injuries. On the same day, the police announced in the state of Jigawa in the arrest of three Suspects to have raped a twelve-year-old. Horror is also the case of the 18-year-old Barakat Bello called forth. The young woman was raped in the city of Ibadan in the state of Oyo behind the parents ' house and stabbed to death. In Benue state, the police have arrested four men who have raped children under the age of six to 15 years. Also in this case, the scene of the crime was a Church.

There are not isolated cases. Since the government has committed to the fight against the Coronavirus, called three times as many Nigerians inside at a Hotline for sexual abuse. "We had always been rapes in this country, but by the corona-related Lockdown were locked up women and children with those who abuse," said Minister for women's Affairs Pauline Metals and spoke of an "epidemic of violence against women". In an address to the Nation in mid-June, the President Muhammadu Buhari said he was "upset about the recent rapes, especially of young girls".