I have not raped anyone before, neither have I been raped.
My siblings haven’t raped anyone neither have they been raped before.
My friends haven’t raped anyone, neither have any of them been raped.
In fact, I haven’t met in person anyone who was a victim of rape.
The above implies that as far as rape is concerned, anything I write, I am writing from a very strong position of ignorance. This sadly applies to a large chunk of humanity around me. But are those claims true according to the provisions of the law.
The fact remains that rapists are everywhere but we deliberately pretend they are not.
What does the Nigerian Constitution provide on rape?
Section 357 of the Criminal Code Act, defines rape thus:
“Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means of false threats or intimidation of any kind, or by fear of harm, or by means of false or fraudulent representation as to the nature of the act, or in case of a married woman, by impersonating her husband is guilty of an offence called rape”.
The Penal code says: “A man can be held guilty of rape if he has sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent, or with her consent, if consent was unlawfully obtained”.
Clearly, from the constitutional provisions, the last two of my first four comments are extremely liable to be false.
We imagine that it counts as rape when some faceless men ambush a girl in a lonely path, bundles her into a waiting evil forest and then register their presence with violence.
That guy that lured a girl to his room and then dish out a forced surprise sex in the ugly name of vendetta.
You know you are a rapist right? You Imagine rapists are drunken sociopaths who lurk in the dark waiting to chance on stray girls who they can overpower. No no! You are the real deal.
She says no, you insist, you are a rapist.
You threaten to expose her nude pictures if she doesn’t comply, you are a rapist.
She passes your course only after having sex with you, you are a rapist.
You get her drunk or high so that her silence becomes consent to you, you are a rapist.
You are a rapist and you are on the streets and on Facebook blowing the #SayNoToRape trumpet.
You are a free product of this society where everything is on alarm and no cause for control.
A society where a girl will have to pass multiple question tests before her submission can pass as rape.
Why were you in his house?
Why did you dress in that manner? Is he not your boyfriend?
Why were you accepting gifts from him?
Don’t you know you were leading him on?
That is how the Nigerian police contribute to the growth of the evil rape industry.
And this is how the unkind rapists enjoy freedom and all the good things of life while we campaign vocally against the imaginary psychopathic rapist who is perpetually in the wind.
And that is how most of us have become unconscious accomplices through what we haven’t said or things we have failed to do.
Ignore all I implied and take what I expressed. For expressium facit cessare tacitum. This means; What is expressed puts an end to what is implied.
Report that rapist you know.