Say NO to rape!

Rape is one of the most heinous assaults against human. It is an attack on a defenseless individual. It is beyond sex against one's will, it amounts to theft of one's dignity, pride and self-esteem. Though it is condemned in all cultures and society, yet it occurs every day.

It is estimated that in India, a woman is raped every 22 minute. And in South Africa, one in six women has experienced this assault called rape.

In Nigeria, though there is no accurate figure of incidences of rape, it is happening on daily basis. A girl has been forcefully defiled in my neighborhood today. The ordeal is unimaginable.

My heart bled as I listened to the painful tale of helplessness. She screamed but no one to help. She begged, but it fell on deaf ears. She made promises that were not regarded. She prayed but the heavens were closed. It was a hellish experience.

How heartless? Rape signifies a nation's worst form of poverty: poverty of love, morals, conscience and dignity. It is man's inhumanity against man.

It is exploitative, barbaric, oppressive, traumatic, devastating, terrific and horrifying.

Let all rise against this crime. Say no to rape. It could have been your sister. Perpetrators should not be allowed to go unpunished. Say no to rape!