Violence Against Women as Shame of Our Nation

Asukwo Archibong calls on the Nigeria Police to fish out those visited violence on some leading women in Kogi State

Most times when there is violence, women are usually at the receiving end. At home, they suffer violence. At work, they suffer violence. In school, they suffer violence. Now, as they participate in our democratic journey, they suffer violence by being killed.

Here is the story of, Mrs. Acheju Abuh, the Women Leader in Kogi State killed for holding opposing views. Not just killed but burnt alive. Let that sink in. Burnt alive in her home. A mother, wife, daughter. She was burnt alive. This is in a state where the Social Democratic Party (SDP) gubernatorial candidate, Natasha Akpoti was violently attacked and her campaign office burnt to ashes. She escaped with her life. Enough of these attacks against women. It is high time that women step up and lend their voices against these attacks. Men won’t do it for them. They are too busy trying to steal, pillage and fight their way into power to care about the welfare or life of women.

Recently, nine women were killed in Port Harcourt by a serial killer. Women stepped up and the pressure pushed the police to act and the killer was caught. Prior to the action of the women in bringing pressure on the Nigeria Police Force, those killed were labeled by police as prostitutes whose death did not deserve the trouble of an investigation. Women must not let up in protecting themselves and demanding for protection and the end of attacks against them. There is truth to the saying there is safety in numbers. Harm to a woman anywhere should be harm to women everywhere.

It is in this vein that I ask women to speak up in the case of the killing of the Women Leader in Kogi State and the attacks against the Kogi State SDP gubernatorial candidate

To the men folk I say if you can’t protect your women who nursed you, cooked for you and do much more for you, who can you protect?

I hereby call on the Nigeria Police Force to fish out those who killed Mrs. Acheju Abuh and attacked the Kogi State gubernatorial candidate of SDP and bring them to justice. Until this is done, every man stands guilty of shame and no man should rest.

-Archibong is a lawyer and former presidential candidate of Nigeria for Democracy