Analysis of the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Gender Based Violence: Case Study of Rape Victims in Nigeria

Abstract

The first confirmed case of Covid-19 “Corona virus” in Nigeria was announced in February 2020, when an Italian citizen tested positive for the virus in Lagos State. In other to curtail further spread of the virus, a moment of total and partial lockdown in affected States, was declared, thus affecting the economic, religious and socio-cultural setup. A careful study of the unfolding lockdown has sparked a surge in human insecurity, crime-related offences of human against fellow beings. One of such crimes
is rape, men having carnal knowledge of females without their consent. In some instance, the victims were either brutalised, tortured, defiled, murdered or commit suicide. A compiled report from National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NATIP) and the Nigerian Police had documented over 717 cases of rape and about 799 suspects arrested from March to July 2020 (Premium Times, July 14, 2020). This has been the highest reported incidences of rape within the shorter time frame. The
worst fear of the reported incidence involved minors and underage age girls. This has created state of worries in the mind of many and could not be dismiss with just wave of hand. The study examines prevalence of rape and the victims in Nigeria and profound recommendations that seek to address the plaque. The study is a content review analysis of selected national dailies, thus qualitative method has been adopted in substantially rendering facts. As widely pronounced in the country, rape is a pandemic of monumental consequences and must be addressed the way Covid-19 is treated though the problem had been with us long before the global pandemic.