What went down at the Alausa sit out for #ObiamakaOrakwe
Some atrocities are too hard to imagine.
That’s understandable!
Atrocities of a sexual nature are often hard to imagine until reality dawns on everyone. Like this one:
Your brother – the last born and only son of your parents is a successful electronics dealer in Alaba market. And he’s been very generous too; ensuring that his wealth reflects on his sisters by taking care of at least one of their children. So, four of you – have at least a daughter living with him. They are either going to school or learning a trade for which he’s responsible including setting them up when they are done with learning and ready to run their own enterprise.
Aside being responsible for the upkeep of these girls, he is also doing something untoward to all of them. Yes, all of them!
He sleeps with them. Regularly.
Some how, his wife is unaware. The girls don’t want to destroy their uncle’s marriage.These girls have also not been able to tell their moms-all of them elder sisters to this predatory uncle. Who knows, they might not believe their story. Besides, who would train them in school and pay for their skills acquisition programmes when the Pandora’s box is opened and all the moms react drastically?
And so, this evil continued until another niece arrives from the village. She was to become the next prey. And like her other cousins, she’s been briefed and placed in line for slaughtering few weeks after arriving and settling down to learn dress making.
But she refused to be preyed upon.
She wouldn’t open her legs. And then the beast in “Uncle Alaba ” emerges after all pressures from him met with continued resistance. The girl was constantly given the beating of her life.
She eventually ran away, back to the village and squealed. Initially, her mom could not believe what she was hearing.
Unfortunately, nothing could be farther from the truth. She told her other sisters hoping they would join her in confronting their younger brother. She forgot that the guy is also their benefactor. Sentiments crept in. No one wants to expose this evil and tarnish the image of the family. This is a guy who had impregnated his neices at different times and procured abortions for them whenever it happens. Yet his sisters are unable to confront him with the reality of the crime he’s committed and still committing.
This is the privilege and honour enjoyed by sex offenders and predators in our country. No thanks to a culture of rape, sexual violence and molestation that we have so successfully created and protecting.
We started creating this culture when you shielded that colleague, brother, friend, boss, law maker, husband, son, uncle, teacher of yours who was accused with raw evidence for violating a child, raping a girl, sexually exploiting a student or patient. And today, the monster we have created is even closer home.
You may not have any clue about it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not there.This is as bad as it could get:
A young girl, sexually molested by her grand father. The mom had her as out of marriage and she needed to be kept with grandma and grandpa ;away from the prying eyes of her mom’s suitors. Finally, her mom is married and grandpa starts to prey on the little girl. This continued for years. Grandma told her to shut up when the girl confided in her. Even when the girl told her teachers in school who eventually alerted members of the Lagos state child protection team, grandma was still covering her old, despicable “heartthrob”… a 65 year old man
If that sounds weird, how about this sick boy?
He’s been having sex with his younger sister for years. At some point, that became their best kept secret. Expectedly, they got busted one day. The boy was recommended for disciplinary actions and of course therapy(just like his sister). This would require separation between the two of them. The boy said he would kill himself if separated from his sister who by this time has become his ‘lover’ before they were exposed.
Their mother is confused. She doesn’t want to lose her son who is also far gone into a terrible incestuous relationship with his sister. But the real deal for her was to protect the family’s reputation.
And then, we have a neighbour whose favourite past time is to constantly feed the children around his neighbourhood his organ and have them ingest whatever he ejaculates at the height of his barbaric acts. By the way, he gives mothers in the house he lives (including those of the children he’s been molestation) freebies as well as unsolicited cash. The day he was finally exposed, two of these women stood in the way of prosecution and while they were still involved in the dilly dally to hand him over to the police , this predator escaped.
How are you making it difficult for sex offenders and rapists to escape justifice when apprended or exposed? Can you hand over your brother, husband or son for prosecution if accused of rape or violating a child? Would you see the offense for which he’s been accused as having the potentials of destroying the victim for life or you would want to protect your family’s reputation?
Can we take a stand especially now when the evil is not yet home.. as it might just be lurking in the corner?
Perpetrators of rape and all forms of Sexual violence have become our most protected enemies. Too bad. It’s even worse when the accused is a counsellor, pastor, bishop or ọma imam. The victim is often seen as a liar or an agent of the devil sent to destroy the work of God. Isn’t that what we expose ourselves to when we continue to allow our organs get in the way of God’s work?
Let’s protect our children. Let’s make our society safe for women and girls. Let’s stop making rapists and sexual offenders feel like nice and decent people. Of course they are not. Let’s stop shielding them no matter how close they are to us.
That’s part of the message at the sit out. Help spread it.
(C) FAMILIA PRIMERA
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