Lagos PPRO Ngozi Braide States Why Rape Cases Are Increasing in the Country

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ngozi Braide blamed the unwillingness of some rape victims to prosecute the case for the increasing number of rape cases in Nigeria.

Braide said this in her recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday.

“As long as rape victims and their parents refuse to show interest in prosecuting the case, the offenders will go scot-free and more of such crime will happen.

The victims of rape or defilement are the main witnesses the police need to send the offenders to prison.

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The case is a serious offence under Nigerian law. An offender could be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty.

We have many people who should be behind bars for violent crimes against women.

But because the people concerned are not willing to come forward to assist the police in prosecution, they are walking freely and even committing more of such crime.

If offenders are not punished, many others will be bold to commit such a crime.

It is unpardonable for a man to defile his underage daughter. Such experience will remain in the mind of the child forever. Such a man should be punished as deterrent to others.

The problem we have is that the same people who reported the case to the police would still turn around to settle with the offender.

Some women, whose daughters were raped or defiled by their husbands, are the ones pleading for their release. In this case, what do you want the police to do?” she said.

She also called on parents to show concern in prosecuting rape offenders.

She also disclosed at about 4 rape cases and defilement by fathers against their daughters have been recorded since she got her position as PPRO and yet, nobody has been prosecuted.

“Parents should know that they are not helping their children by accepting to settle out of court.

They are killing the future of such children. You cannot quantify the pains encountered by the victims with monetary settlement.

My advice for women is that they should rise to fight any form of abuse against women, particularly rape and defilement.

The victims and the minors cannot help themselves; their parents must therefore stand for them.

The police are willing to prosecute any case if those with useful information about the case would be willing to come forward with evidence,” she added.