A few days ago, the High Court of Justice-Auchi Judicial Division, Edo State convicted four perpetrators of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). It was a big win for SGBV Survivors in Edo State as there is a very low public confidence in the criminal justice system’s ability to sanction SGBV offenders. There is a significant difference between the number of Sexual Assault cases recorded and the number of cases that are prosecuted and convicted hence these court verdicts are widely celebrated.
Justice Philip Imoedemhe on Wednesday 7th of December 2022 convicted Taiwo Buoro, Taofeek Abdullahi Isah, Jeremiah Okamudu and Miracle Pius. Taiwo Buoro (60yrs) was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the rape of a 12years old girl at Ososo Community. Taofeek Abdullahi Isah (20yrs) was sentenced to death for kidnap, attack with harmful substance and unlawful trial by ordeal of a young woman at Okpella Community. Jeremiah Okamudu (20yrs) and Miracle Pius (19yrs) who conspired with Taofeek Abdullahi Isah was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and 19 years respectively. Both cases were charged with the Edo State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law – EdoVAPPL and all sentences were without options of fine.
The incident involving Taiwo Buoro occurred on the 19th of September 2021 at Ososo Community, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State. The 60years old man who was a friend of the girl’s family visited them and met her alone at home. Prior to the eventual rape, he sexually groomed the 12-year-old girl by offering her money and assaulting her indecently. Buoro took advantage of the mother’s absence on that particular visit to rape the girlchild. The incident was reported at the Ososo Police Station where preliminary investigations were done and the case was transferred to the SCIID-Benin. BHI began an intervention in the case on September 20, 2021 – facilitated case transfer to SCIID on September 24, 2021, Facilitated Case Arraignment November 8, 2021, and provided comprehensive SGBV services to the survivor and her family throughout the trial.
The incident involving Taofeek and 11 other men occurred on the 22nd of October, 2021 at Okpella Community, Etsako East LGA, Edo State. The young men kidnapped the survivor and took her to a secondary school compound where she was kept hostage for days on an accusation of phone theft. They stripped her naked, sexually assaulted her and beat her with wood and cutlasses. Taofeek inserted pepper in the survivor’s vagina, rubbed Devil Beans (Mucuna pruriens) on her body and made a video record of their assault. They thereafter dragged her to a riverbank on the outskirt of the community and abandoned her to die. The incident was reported at the Okpella Police Station where preliminary investigations were done and the case transferred to the SCIID-Benin. BHI began intervention in the case on November 11, 2021 – facilitated case transfer to SCIID on November 13th with support from Okpella Community Members, Facilitated Case Arraignment on March 7th , 2022, and provided comprehensive SGBV services to the survivor and her family
throughout the trial.
State vs Taofeek Abdullahi Isah Case with Charge No HAm/94c/2021 was doggedly prosecuted by a team of State Counsels from the Edo State Ministry of Justice namely – Clement Eseigbe, Sherifat Adokutu and Margaret Casmir; While State vs Taiwo Buoro Case with Charge No HAm/79c/2021 was ably prosecuted by Lauretta Asaka and Margaret Casmir also of the Edo State Ministry of Justice. Caseworkers from BraveHeart Initiative worked with the State Counsels in both cases through all the prosecution processes and are superbly impressed by their dedicated services and commitment to justice. As an SGBV Focused Organisation, we specially thank these legal officers and applaud them for the victories.
We commend the wife of Edo State Governor – Betsy Obaseki — for creating an enabling policy environment for SGBV Survivors and we specially thank the Commissioner for Justice as well as the Chief Judge for strengthening the justice sector in Edo State.
We specially acknowledge Ogbadu Phillip Aliyu, Commissioner of Police (Rtd), for ensuring thorough investigation by the police in these cases and for facilitating free medical service for Blessing at the Police Cottage Clinic where the survivor was hospitalised for a month. We appreciate the medical team for their services. We also acknowledge Ronke Ojiekere (SOTHAWACA) and Ufuoma Akpobi (IYO) for assisting BHI to provide Psychosocial Support to the survivor during her hospitalization in Benin City. Profound gratitude to the Open Society Foundation (OSIWA-OSF) who provided the funds that BraveHeart Initiative expended in both cases. Gratitude to the survivors and their families who consented to BraveHeart’s Intervention in their cases.
BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI) is a youth-led, feminist non-governmental organisation promoting young people’s sexual reproductive health and advancing women’s rights in Nigeria. BHI is one of Nigeria’s leading non-profits dedicated to responding to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and advocating for SGBV reforms. As of December 2022, the BHI has facilitated the court conviction of twenty-seven (27) sex offenders in twenty-four (24) sexual assault cases. The organisation has facilitated the completion of twenty-seven (27) SGBV cases in court. Twenty-four victories were recorded and three (3) cases were lost.
As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day, we call for Nigerians to UNITE and promote dignity, freedom and justice for ALL especially survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Ms. Priscilla Usiobaifo,
Executive Director,
BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI)
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