By Uduak Akpan
Radio Nigeria Treasure FM Port Harcourt, Rivers State
United Nations defines Rape as the physically forced or coerced penetration, however slight, of any part of the body of a victim or perpetrator with a sexual organ, or of the anal/genital opening with any object or body part, without the voluntary and free consent of the victim.
Until recently, Nigeria’s legal definition was slightly different from this as it saw Rape as the unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman or girl without her consent, or with consent obtained via force, threat, intimidation, fear of harm, or fraud.
While it was a serious criminal offense punishable by life imprisonment under Section 357 of the Criminal Code in Southern Nigeria and Section 282 of the Penal Code in Northern Nigeria, this definition had completely ignored men and the male gender who could sometimes be victims of rape and sexual violence.
These Archaic laws have however transitioned over the last decade into a more aggressive modern approach to sexual Violence law as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition-VAPP Act.
The VAPP Act which has now been made domiciled in most of the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory-FCT has a broader definition of sexual assault, stiffer punishments in addition to recognizing that men and the male gender could also be victims of sexual assault and rape.
VAPP also introduced the sexual offender register which is a public national database of convicted rapists, managed by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons-NAPTIP.
Additionally, the National Assembly late 2025, made various amendments to the Criminal Code Act in a bid to remove loopholes that existed in Federal laws. The amendments ensured that punishment for defilement of a child was upgraded to life imprisonment without the option of a fine; it also removed the statute of limitation for sex offenders making it possible to prosecute them 20 to 30 years after the act and also ensured the systematic removal of fine option for convicted rapists.
Despite these laudable developments, Rape is still rampant and a growing concern in the Nigerian society especially with recent viral social media discussions on the topic.
Although the most recent viral rape case turned out to be untrue, other cases brought to fore, several issues on the topic of rape.
The case of the titoker simply identified as Fem and her friend, who became victims of rape after responding to a modeling job, a viral social media video, accusing the Nigerian military of rape and extortion during a communal crisis in Cross River State which they have promptly denied. Also two cases of police officers raping young underage girls inside the police station are all under investigation.
There was also the viral case of a male victim who claimed he was drugged and sexually assaulted by a female friend but could not pursue the case because he was mocked and dismissed by peers and legal professionals.
And the very recent case of a male who accused popular Nigerian female singer, SIMI of sexually molesting him at her mothers’ day care centre prompted NAPTIP to open investigation into daycare centers across the country, for similar cases.
All these goes to show that, while the Nigerian sexual assault laws may look really solid on the surface, the reality is still a stark opposite because rape and sexual assault in on an all-time high. Making people question, why do so few cases end in a conviction?
For instance, in Lagos alone between 2024 and now, out of the over three thousand six hundred reported cases of rape, only 9 convictions have been secured.
Under reporting is a major challenge against the Nigerian rape law, where victims refuse to come forward with their stories for fear of being stigmatized or victimised.
Others however get frustrated with the prolonged judicial process and burden to proof rape as it is one of the hardest crimes to proof in Nigeria, hence the very low conviction rate.
The worst part is that Nigerian laws still rely heavily on “penetration.” to proof rape in a country where there are little to no forensic kits especially in rural areas, the evidence literally vanishes before justice can be achieved.
What then is the solution?
We need a multi front approach to solving the rape crisis in Nigeria.
First, every state should create specialized Courts dedicated to handle only sexual violence cases within a short time frame so as to bypass the years-long backlog.
Emergency call centers should be activated in every Local Government area for immediate response to rape and sexual assault cases and escalation to authorities. Forensic equipment should also be made available to all hospitals, health centers and forensic centers in police stations across the country.
There should be an ethical reorientation and a change of mindset towards rape and sexual abuse among Nigerians championed by the National orientation Agency-NOA.
Finally, digital protection should be provided for victims of all forms of sexual abuse to combat digital abuse like black mail and ensure that sex offenders register is a list of the shamed rather than a secret file.
Changing the rape narrative in Nigeria isn’t just the job of the police; it is the duty of every neighbor who hears the scream, every doctor who preserves the evidence and every judge who refuses a bribe to try a rape case. Let all hands be on deck
