In the fallout of the expose
the full weight of social media, women and human rights organizations was
mobilized in commentary, petitions, letters to Inspector General of Police, an
interactive session by the then Youth Minister Bolaji Abdulahi, a special
session with women and human rights NGOs with the House of Reps committee on
human rights.
There were strident denials
from the Abia State Govt. a mind-blowingly embarrassing statement from the Commisioner
of Police in Abia saying the rape looked "consensual" and the usual
blame the victim brigade. It was a virtual firestorm.
Fast forward to 2013. In March
a police report indicated that the rape victim and accused rapists in the video
had been identified and located not in Abia State but in Obite Rivers State.
It revealed that the victim was
a married woman and at least one of her rapists a relative of her husband. Compared
to the frenzied outrage of the rape video this news got the equivalent of a
bored yawn.
There were no petitions or
freedom of information requests to get more information from the police. No
campaigns to raise money to investigate the claim and raise money for the
victims legal fight or rehabilitation. We all failed in our duty, the ever loud
#Mob No catchy hash tag.
Nothing but a few feeble tweets
and updates about the story sounding doubtful and sad, we couldn’t afford to
resuscitate #ABSU so as not to drown our current # party, a new Voyeur for social meetings under the name of
protest, candle at night, opportunity for ‘networking’ then a chance on the
daily shows of the television, our best suits, a fresh haircut and then another
‘sponsorship’ from telecommunication firms, who could as well also donate some
of the ‘investment’ into helping victims of rape. Like vultures the #Mob wait
for another fancy cause, then we rake, we increase our ‘followership’ graphic
designers in waiting, it is now trendy to shout it, wear few T-shirts and then
go to sleep.
Fast forward to August 2013:
The Nation publishes a truly heartbreaking follow up story that reads like an
over the top Nollywood tragedy.
The gang rape victims husband
has been tracked down to Obite and he reveals the horrific consequences of the
rape. His wife suffered a miscarriage after the rape, is now HIV positive and
has lost a baby to HIV/AIDS. The suspects (some his relatives) are walking
free. The arena for justice was a magistrate’s court? The couple lives in fear
of the alleged big shot sponsor of the rape who he claims is influencing the
case and has a band of thugs on call.
The now HIV positive rape
victim is with her parents in Owerri. They are clearly on their own. Yesterdays outrage from strangers will
not get them justice. The hashtag brigade has moved on, to another trendy #
voyeur.
Ironically only thing the
campaign may have succeeded in doing was alert the husband to the rape. His
wife kept it secret and he found out when friends showed him the video of the
latest Nigerian scandal.
I have heard defense put up
about the story sounding fishy or being a cover up by some parties. That misses
the point. Did the March police release even generate a discussion? An
investigation? The follow up whether accurate or not was not pursued with any
interest.
Without these journalists
attempt to track down the story we have now all the emergency citizens
journalists who emerged in those times wouldn't stirred from the next big
thing.
No women or human rights NGO
coalitions issued press releases or headed out to provide legal aid. Even the
bounty offered online for information on the rapists wasn't used for follow up
or converted to a legal fund.
While a victim lives with bone
crushing injustice thoroughly unaffected by righteous intentions the #hashtag
mob has moved to the next sexy hashtag. No closure. No ability to sustain. No
strategies. No moral ground to demand anything better from our leaders. No
impact on anything of value. We all need deliverance.
Follow Kayode Ogundamisi on twitter @ogundamisi
