Big Crimes, Small Victories

Africa’s most populous economy, with one of the lowest rates of female representation in parliament across Africa, seems to be experiencing a #MeToo movement of its own with a raft of new rape allegations. Survivors speak out, but who’s listening?

- Peace Hyde

AN OVERWHELMING number of outraged protestors stormed the Abuja and Maryland premises of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly Church (COZA) on June 30, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the embattled leader and pastor of COZA, Biodun Fatoyinbo, accused by Busola Dakolo, the wife of a famous musician, of allegedly raping her when she was a teenager.

More than a year after the #MeToo movement exploded and prompted millions of survivors to share their experiences with sexual assault and harassment, Dakolo’s viral video about her ordeal as a teenager is sparking new conversations about sexual violence against women in Africa’s most populous economy. And the outcry is not coming from women alone.

Oladotun Kayode, a popular onair personality in Lagos, also recalls experiences of being abused as a child by his maid. After watching the viral video of Dakolo, Kayode too decided to join the movement to bring awareness to the growing menace in Nigeria. And the numbers don’t lie.

There are about 10,000 daily cases of sexual assault, rape and human trafficking of young girls and women across Nigeria, according to Dr Kemi Dasilva-Ibru, Founder, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF).

“Statistically, we know that one in four girls would have experienced some type of sexual assault by the age of 18. Which means for a population of about 190 million, with half of the population women and half of the women are under the age of 24. You can imagine the number of victims who are subjected to this horrific crime on a daily basis and they are forced into silence,” says Dasilva-Ibru.