https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6771-0811
![Sample our Area Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5922/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Area-Studies.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Sexual violence cases in Adamawa State have been frequently reported. Yet, the interrogation of the phenomenon has not received adequate scholarly attention. Unfortunately, unusual high incidents of rape were recorded in the state in 2020 prompting an examination of the trend and pattern of incidents of rape in the state. Data were collected from police records of incidents of rape and interviews were granted to perpetrators, police officers and parents/guardians of victims. The study shows that the highest cases of rape were recorded in July, and Yola North Local Government Area of the state recorded the highest number of incidents of rape. All the perpetrators are male whose ages are within the range of 18 and 33 years while the majority of the victims are female, mostly minors. Covid-19 outbreak and the containment mechanisms employed in the state were the major factors in the escalation of rape cases. The lockdown policy of the state created situations like loss of jobs, dwindling economic resources and shut-down of state apparatuses of security especially the police which increased motivations for offenders to commit the crime of rape as well as contributed to the vulnerability of the victims of rape.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Oldstone, Viruses, Plagues and History and McMillen, Pandemic: A Very Short Introduction.
2 Ohadike, ‘Diffusion and Physiological Response to the Influenza Pandemic of 1918–19 in Nigeria’.
3 Ibid., 1395–1397.
4 NAN, ‘Covid-19: NCDC Confirms 1,145 New Infections’.
5 Akanmu et al., ‘The Covid-19 Pandemic and Insecurity’.
6 Jannamike, ‘Rape is Prevalent in Nigeria, Says New Report’.
7 Onuh, ‘Nigeria’s Response to Covid-19’.
8 Amnesty International, ‘Southern Africa’.
9 The Guardian, 16 June 2020 cited in Tade, ‘A Routine Activity Analysis of Selected Rape Cases During Covid-19 Lockdown in Nigeria’ and Ogunlana et al., ‘Pattern of Rape and Femicide during Covid-19 Lockdown’.
10 Alao, ‘Adamawa Coalition Protest against Rape’.
11 Owonikoko, ‘Take them to Government House or Aso Rock’.
12 Gbahabo and Duma, ‘I Just Became Like a Log of Wood … I was Paralysed All Over My Body’.
13 Mgolozeli and Duma, ‘They All Laughed and Asked Me if I Enjoyed Having Sex with those Guys’, 2.
14 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Lagos. 1958. Criminal Code CH.42, vol. 2, Section 357.
15 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 1960. The Penal code (Northern Region) Federal Provisions Act Sections 182 and 183.
16 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act 1, 2 and 3.
17 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Child’s Rights Act. Part III.
18 Kuna and Ibrahim, Rural Banditry and Conflict in Northern Nigeria.
19 Njoku and Akintayo, ‘Sex for Survival’ and Ogunniran, ‘Conflict-related Sexual Violence in the North-East Nigeria’.
20 Aborisade, ‘COVID-19 and Gender-Based Violence’.
21 Tade and Udechukwu, ‘Characterizing Rapists and their Victims in Select Nigeria Newspapers’.
22 Campbell et al., ‘Preventing the “Second Rape”’; Campbell, ‘Psychological Impact of Rape Victim’s Experience with Legal, Medical and Mental Health Systems’; Campbell, ‘What Really Happened?’
23 Nogala and Schroder, ‘Pandemic Effects on Law Enforcement Training and Practice’; Alvarado, Sutton, and Leopold Laborda, COVID-19 and Police Agency Operations in Latin America and the Caribbean and Lum, Maupin, and M. Stoltz, ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Law Enforcement Agencies’.
24 TVC, ‘Adamawa Records 350 Rape Cases in Five Months’; see also Livinus, ‘Adamawa Records 350 Rape Cases in Five Months’.
25 Agency Report, ‘Covid-19: Adamawa Gov Signs Restriction Order into Law’.
26 The Cable, ‘Adamawa Records First COVID-19 Case’.
27 Premium Times, ‘Gov. Fintiri Imposes Lockdown in Adamawa State’.
28 Akinlusi et al., ‘Sexual Assaults in Lagos, Nigeria’ and Laima et al., ‘Alleged Rape’.
29 Shayegh and Malpede, ‘Staying Home Saves Lives, Really!’; Hodgkinson and Andresen, ‘Show Me a Man or a Woman Alone and I'll Show You a Saint’ and Andresen and Hodgkinson, ‘Somehow I Always End Up Alone’
30 Abt, Rosenfeld, and E. Lopez, ‘COVID-19 and Homicide’ and Nivette et al., ‘A Global Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 Stay-at-home Restrictions on Crime’.
31 Amnesty International, ‘Southern Africa’.
32 Respondent 6, Police Officer, Key Informant Interview, Girei, October 2020.
33 Urdal, ‘Demography and Armed Conflict’ and Verkaaik, ‘Violence and Ethnic Identity Politics in Karachi and Hyderabad’.
34 Urdal, ‘Demography and Armed Conflict’.
35 Tade and Udechukwu, ‘Characterizing Rapists and their Victims in Select Nigeria Newspapers’, 8–9.
36 Respondent 2, Male Rapist, Key Informant Interview, Yola, 2020.
37 Isely and Gehrenbeck-Shim, ‘Sexual Assault of Men in the Community’.
38 Laima et al. ‘Alleged Rape’.
39 Akinlusi et al. ‘Sexual Assaults in Lagos, Nigeria’.
40 Tade and Udechukwu, ‘Characterizing Rapists and their Victims in Select Nigeria Newspapers’.
41 Respondent 8, Male Rapist, Key Informant Interview, Yola, 2020.
42 Tade and Udechukwu, ‘Characterizing Rapists and their Victims in Select Nigeria Newspapers’, 8.
43 Federal Government of Nigeria, ‘National Youth Policy’.
44 Sharma, ‘Acquaintance Rape Among Adolescents and Youth’ and Sodipo et al., ‘The Pattern and Characteristics of Sexual Assault Perpetrators and Survivors Managed at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Lagos’.
45 Sodipo et al., Ibid.; Tade and Udechukwu, ‘Characterizing Rapists and their Victims in Select Nigeria Newspapers’; Akinlusi et al. ‘Sexual Assaults in Lagos, Nigeria’ and Tade, ‘A Routine Activity Analysis of Selected Rape Cases During Covid-19 Lockdown in Nigeria’.
46 King, ‘Sexual Assaults on Men’ and Hunter, The Sexually Abused Male.
47 Goyer and Eddleman, ‘Same-sex Rape of Non-incarcerated Men’.
48 Nwolise, ‘Is Physical Security alone Enough for the Survival, Progress and Happiness of Man?’.
49 Chiazor et al., ‘Taming the Rape Scourge in Nigeria’.
50 Cohen and Felson, ‘Social Change and Crime Rate Trends’; Felson and Cohen, ‘Human Ecology and Crime’; Pratt, Travis, and Turanovic, ‘Lifestyle and Routine Activity Theories Revisited’ and Miro, ‘Routine Activity Theory’.
51 Respondent 24, Police Officer, Key Informant Interview, Jimeta, November 2020.
52 Respondent 17, Female Parent, Key Informant Interview, Jimeta, October 2020.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Saheed Babajide Owonikoko
Saheed Babajide Owonikoko holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Philosophy/Political Science and Master’s and Ph.D degrees in Peace and Conflict Studies from University of Ibadan. He is currently a lecturer and researcher at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University, Yola, Adamawa State. He is also Postgraduate Programmes Coordinator of the Centre. He has published widely in local and international journal outlets including Small Wars and Insurgency, Journal of Peace Education, African Security, Soccer and Society, Journal of Contemporary African Studies and so on. His areas of research interest are Violent Non-State Armed Groups (VNSAGs), violent extremism, gender and violence, terrorism and counterterrorism as well as peace-building intervention programme designing. He is also a security consultant.
Jude A. Momodu
Jude A. Momodu is a Professor of Peace and Security at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University, Yola. He is also currently director of the Centre. He holds a doctorate degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a seasoned academic scholar and has many publications in both local and international journals. His research interests span areas such as peace and security studies, terrorism and counterterrorism and governance issues.
Jamila B. A. Suleiman
Jamila Bisi Aduke Suleiman is a trained lawyer. She worked briefly as a lawyer before taking up a career in scholarship. She currently lectures at the Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University, Yola. She is also a doctoral candidate in the Centre where she is researching women access to justice in the context of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East. Her areas of research interest are gender and violence, transitional justice and reconciliation.