In a
surprising move, the Kano state government has halted the St Louis Old Girls
Association's all women's walk against the rising case of rape in the state on
Tuesday.
According to
one of the women, "people gathered at the meeting point) with their
banners and white clothes as agreed, only to be told that the protest walk has
been cancelled by the state govt.! So people just took pictures and left."
A statement
signed by SLOGA President, Aisha Ibrahim Dankani said the association consulted
and got approval from the State government, Emir of Kano and the State Police
Commissioner, the association scheduled the walk for morning of Tuesday, July
25th.
However, a
few hours to the time, the State Police Commissioner, said it is unlike women
of the state to come out enmasse for a walk on the streets for any reason.
Thereby
citing security threats as a reason for the withdrawal of the earlier approval
granted to the association for the purposeful venture.
Earlier in a
statement by the association, it stated that reliable data on reported cases of
rape from some hospital sources indicate that the incidence of different types
of sexual violence is rising within Kano state at an alarming proportion.
"Apart
from young adolescent girls and women, the data indicates that a large
proportion of victims of rape are now children aged between 0 – 10 years. The
unfortunate case of Baby Khadija who was brutally raped in February 2017 at the
age of 6 months and sustained severe perineal injuries is a case to reckon
with".
"Many
other innocent children have suffered from a similar horrific fate in the hands
of evil and wicked sexual predators and peadophiles".
"As
professional women, mothers and grandmothers, wives, sisters and aunts, we have
united together with ONE STRONG VOICE to condemn all forms of sexual violence
especially against children, in the strongest possible terms".
"Rape
is an unacceptable crime in every part of the world and we unanimously say ‘NO
TO RAPE’, ‘ NO TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE’ and ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’".
"In
order to be the voices of the hundreds of voiceless innocent children who have
fallen victims to rapists and paedophiles in Kano, St. Louis Old Girls
Association (SLOGA) has therefore concluded all plans to collaborate with many
other Women Associations in the State to conduct an ALL WOMEN’S PEACEFUL
WALK".
"The
aim of the walk is to register our grievances with the State Leadership and Law
Makers respectively and solicit for an urgent intervention to end this evil
trend and seek full justice for the victims. We have followed all due process
of seeking permission for the activity from the State Police Command
Headquarters", the statement
concluded.
0 Comments