City Crime
There Is Life After Rape – Banigo
Have you ever been sexually abused, how does it feel like? Come to think of it, when it is someone close to you that is the culprit, you may have not only felt humiliated, but dehumanised and probably felt the world should collapse on you.
The heaviness of this vicious element upon its victims, is the reason they choose to remain silent. No! You probably do not understand the plight of these ones.
Survivors of sexual violence who decide to speak out publicly go through inexplicable emotional trauma. Often times, they feel a sense of abandonment by friends and family who have difficulty accepting their stories.
It is particularly difficult for survivors of incest or individuals who are accusing a respected member of the community. In an abusive family, the survivor who seeks help is often denounced by the rest of the family.
Family members sometimes resent the fact that the survivor went public with their secret or exposed the problem. She even risks being accused of ruining the family or lying to get attention. Thus, the feeling of abandonment or ostracism. If this has happened to you, realise that you are not alone. You deserve to heal from your trauma.
Remember, the Sexual Violence Survivor’s Bill of Rights states that no one has the right to abuse you or anyone else. No one deserves to be assaulted or abused. You have a right to stop the abuse that is happening to you or anyone else. You have a right to pursue healing and justice for the abuse that has happened. Sexual violence is wrong. The abuser is wrong.People who protect the abuser are wrong. You are not to blame You did not destroy the family or betray their trust by speaking out about your abuse. The perpetrator destroyed the trust of the family every time he/she committed an act of abuse.
In line with this, Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo has called on the survivors of sexual abuse to speak up for the perpetrators of the heinous crime to be punished.
Dr. Banigo, reiterated this during a sensitisation campaign on the theme, “Dealing with Mental Health and Sexual Abuse in Unity Schools”, organised by the Support the Girl – Child Initiative Programme of her Office at the Federal Government College in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Banigo, who through her Senior Special Assistant, Barr. Inegogo Fubara, said the programme was put together because of the importance she attaches to the mental and psychological health of the young people, urged students to speak out whenever they face any form of abuse.
“I want you to understand that the fact that you have been sexually abused is not the end of life, there is life after rape, and there is life after sexual abuse. Do not keep quiet about it, even if it was done at home or in school please speak up.” Dr Banigo quipped.
According to the Deputy Governor, “rape is a criminal offence that is punishable, and the punishment for rape is life imprisonment”. She said even children could be jailed for rape, adding that for a child the punishment could be 14years in imprisonment.
Dr. Banigo said in 2018, the Protect the Girl Child Initiative, organized its first Mental and Sexual Abuse Seminar at the Federal Government Girls College Abuloma, where links about sexual violence and how to stop it and ensure that the voices of survivors were heard was set up.
According to her, “at the seminar in Abuloma, a female student who had been violated repeatedly, since she was eight years old, came out, and the Protect the Girl Child Initiative, in the Office of the Deputy Governor was able to take her out of the environment, provided a safe home for her and ensured that the perpetrator was reported to the police, today she is in her 200 levels in the University”.
She added that, a similar programme for about one thousand three hundred students was held at Holy Rosary College in 2018, where for the first time many students understood what it means to be sexually abused, and realised that it was not the end of the world.
Sexual assault is a life-altering event. Many survivors are affected by the trauma for the rest of their lives. They may suffer from depression, low self-esteem, flashbacks, fear, and difficulty with intimacy. Unfortunately, many of these symptoms are compounded by silence and secrecy.
Often, survivors of sexual assault do not speak out about their experiences because they are ashamed, feel guilty, or blame themselves. Some survivors keep silent out of a sense of duty to family or fear of being ostracised for what happened to them.
During your victimization, (Rosenbloom & Williams, 1999) opined, you may have learned to not express your feelings. To express them may have increased your risk of being harmed. You may also have learned that saying “no” did not work to protect you. In such circumstances, silence may have been the only choice that made sense
As a way of regaining their power from an event that robbed them of control, some survivors find talking about their assault an essential part of the recovery process. Others would want to disclose their experiences to a few close friends and/or family members to end the loneliness or break the family silence. A few may also want to speak out publicly in an attempt to empower themselves and educate others about sexual violence.
Whether you are speaking to a group of one or one hundred, it takes an enormous amount of courage to tell your story. Telling can be transformative. It can help you move through the shame and secrecy that keeps you isolated. It can open doors to understanding and support. Telling is one way you can become a model for other survivors.
It can be empowering to speak out against someone else’s crime. Speaking out can lift the burden of silence. Speaking out publicly is not right for everyone. No one should be pressured to tell their story. Survivors are heroes whether they speak out or not. Speaking out can mean many things – it can mean putting your story on paper for yourself in a journal entry, telling one trusted person, speaking at a national conference of advocates, or testifying on legislation at your state’s legislature.
There are many different levels of telling. Telling a counselor, a friend, a family member, telling publicly, telling in writing will all feel different. You may tell with detachment, anger, sadness, or occasionally, even humor (Bass & Davis, 1988).
In any case, you may need to consider the following before going public. What motivates you to go public? What do you hope to gain? What could you lose? Can you achieve your goals through another means? Is someone or something internally/externally pressuring you to disclose your abuse history? Who and/or what is pressuring you? Are you going to use your real name or a pseudonym? Will you wear a disguise of some sort? Will you be paid? If so, how much? Will the perpetrator be in the audience? Will your perpetrator’s friends or loved ones be there? Is there a chance that others will exploit you or your story? Are there safeguards available to protect against exploitation? Will speaking out publicly hurt you in your present or future career, social life, or family life (including your spouse and children)? Are you willing to take that risk? Have you thought about safety issues? What are they for you? Would telling sever ties to your family that you would like to preserve?
You may also ask yourself if you could live with the possibility of being excluded from family gatherings (i.e. holidays, weddings, funerals)? How would you deal with the loss? Would telling sever ties to friends with whom you would like to stay connected? How would you deal with the loss? What if responses from people are hostile? Are there ways to get grounded as a way to protect against victim-blaming comments and reactions from others?
How might you cope if everyone around you denies your experiences and refuses to believe you. How would the anger you might face from others impact you? What if your audience had no reaction? How would that feel? How would you process and manage your own anger and/or other feelings? What support system is available to you before, during, and after the event? Are friends, family, coworkers, community members, advocates/counselors or members from communities of faith available? Which support people agreed to be available before, during, and after the disclosure? Can you realistically imagine both the worst and best outcomes that might result? Could you live with either one?
By: Sylvia ThanksGod-Amadi
City Crime
NEMA warns against scooping of fuel from accidented tankers

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned against the practice of scooping fuel from accidented tankers, noting it has led to the loss of many lives and property.
The agency’s Head of Operations in Ibadan, Mr Kadiri Olanrewaju, cautioned during a sensitisation programme on tanker fire accidents, held on Wednesday at Akinyele Local Government Area (LGA) of Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was held in collaboration with the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) in Akinyele LGA and other stakeholders.
Olanrewaju said Akinyele LGA was selected for the awareness campaign because of its strategic location as a trailer route from the northern to the southern part of the country.
“These agencies felt that it was necessary to bring this important message to critical stakeholders in communities under the Akinyele LGA, where we have major trailer parks.
“The campaign kick-started in Ogun; we will soon move to Osun.
“The focus is to drive strong sensitisation against the scooping of fuel at the grassroots level, especially for local governments along the trailer routes to reduce needless loss of lives and property,” he said.
He charged the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies to enforce the laws against underage driving and ensure the proper certification and retraining of drivers.
The Administrative Secretary of OYSEMA, Mrs Ojuolape Busari, said that Community Development Associations (CDAs) were involved in the campaign to reach a larger number of people.
Busari noted that people still scoop fuel from accidented tankers because there had not been any serious punishment attached to the offence.
She, therefore, called for stiff penalties for anyone caught perpetrating the act.
“Apart from the risk of fire outbreak that may occur during the practice, it is stealing, which is a serious offence,” she said.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of Akinyele LGA, Hon. Akinwole Akinyele, suggested that fuel transportation should be handled through the rail system, while leaving tankers for intra-city fuel transportation.
The chairman called for an urgent review of laws and policies related to fire services and road safety to meet the urgent and modern demands.
He said that the implementation of stricter fuel transportation regulations, vehicle maintenance, drivers’ training and retraining, and safer fuel handling practices remained crucial to the fuel distribution system in Nigeria.
“The attendant costs of tanker fire accidents have been huge, both in terms of the high number of fatalities and the loss or destruction of property, environmental damage, and public infrastructure,” he said.
NAN reports that the event featured technical sessions, lectures, and presentations from the FRSC, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Fire Service, traditional and market leaders, among others.
City Crime
Democracy Day: Tinubu Addresses Joint N’Assembly Today

…To Confer National Honours On Select Lawmakers
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will deliver a presidential address before a joint session of the National Assembly today as part of events marking Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration.
The event is scheduled to be held in the House of Representatives chamber of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
This was confirmed in a statement released on Sunday by the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Akin Rotimi.
The statement referenced an internal memorandum issued by the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, officially notifying lawmakers of the proceedings.
According to the memorandum, the special joint sitting will begin at 11:00 a.m. with preliminary activities before the arrival of President Tinubu, who is expected at noon.
Democracy Day is observed annually on June 12 in remembrance of the 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s most credible poll since independence.
The election was won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola but was annulled by the military government led by General Ibrahim Babangida (retd).
The theme for the 2025 celebration is “26 Years of Democracy: Renewing Our Commitment to National Development.”
President Tinubu is attending the event as the Special Guest of Honour and is expected to use the platform to reflect on the state of Nigeria’s democracy and present his administration’s vision for the future.
The session will also feature goodwill messages from former presiding officers of the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the President will confer national honours on select legislators in what organisers describe as part of efforts to recognise contributions to democratic governance.
The National Assembly views the event as an important marker of Nigeria’s political evolution.“This joint sitting represents a significant moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey,” the statement read.
“It underscores the pivotal role of the National Assembly in safeguarding democratic values, fostering accountability, and advancing national development over the past 26 years of uninterrupted civil rule.”
Lawmakers also used the occasion to urge Nigerians to reflect on the country’s democratic progress and to renew their commitment to national unity and inclusive governance.
“The House of Representatives calls on all Nigerians to embrace the spirit of Democracy Day as a time for reflection, renewed patriotism, and commitment to building a more inclusive, prosperous, and united nation,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has declared today as a public holiday, to commemorate this year’s Democracy Day celebration held every June 12.
June 12 was officially designated as Nigeria’s Democracy Day in 2018, to honour the annulled 1993 presidential election, widely considered the freest and fairest in the nation’s history and won by Chief MKO Abiola.
In a statement announcing the holiday, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated citizens on the occasion of 26 years of uninterrupted democratic rule in the country.
“June 12 represents our historic journey to building a nation where truth and justice reign, and peace is sustained and our future assured,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
City Crime
Rivers Women Celebrate Fubara’s Second Year Anniversary With Thanksgiving

Rivers women, under the aegis of Rivers Women Unite for SIM, have celebrated the second year anniversary of the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, with praise and thanksgiving.
The women, who gathered at the Ecumenical Centre, Port Harcourt, last Thursday, said that no matter the prevailing circumstances in the State, Fubara has shown great capacity in leadership and deserves to be celebrated.
They emphasised that their gathering was to thank God for what He has done through Fubara and the expected restoration and peace within the State.
They commended Rivers people and all Nigerians who have been standing by the Governor and Rivers people all through these trying times, saying it is now time for peace, reconciliation and restoration.
Speaking on behalf of the women, Dr. Queen Idanyingi Karibi Botoye, said the women have been consistently praying for the State and its leaders.
She urged the leaders of the State to put their differences behind and think about the people first and come together to advance the interest of the State.
The women assured that their prayers will continue until God restores the glory of the State and ensures greater harmony amongst its leaders and people.