Lami Ahmed, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Adamawa State, has stated that the devil is to blame for the rising cases of rape in Nigeria.
She made the statement while speaking to The Punch, as she said there is also a breakdown in family values, resulting in higher divorce rates which then exposes children to abuse.
“To me, the reason why the cases of rape are increasing every day is because rape is the handiwork of the devil. There’s a breakdown in family values resulting in a higher rate of divorce.
“Situations such as the separation of the father and mother can sometimes expose the child to abuse either from a family member or neighbours.
“If laws are put in place, they will curtail the incidence. But because there’s no law yet in place, we are confronted with the menace of rape and the sharp rise in gender-based violence,” she said.
The commissioner noted that stigmatisation is a major reason rape victims do not speak up, adding that when rape occurs, the parents of a victim or the victim might fear being identified and stigmatised.
