Vanessa Obioha writes that the #MeToo movement is long overdue in Nigeria and perhaps, Baba Ijesha’s case may be a good starting point
Each time a prominent person is accused of sexual abuse, there is a flicker of hope that the long-awaited #MeToo movement that started in the United States — and diminished powerful people who were once deemed invincible — would finally find its voice in Nigeria. There have been pockets of #MeToo moments in the country such as the #ArewaMeToo in the northern region in 2017. It was inspired by 24-year-old pharmacist Khadija Adamu in Kano State. Adamu who was sexually assaulted by her boyfriend blogged about her abuse eight months later, spurring other women in the region to speak about the sexual violence against them.
In 2019, when the popular photographer Busola Dakolo, accused the charismatic and fashionable pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) Biodun Fatoyinbo of raping her, not a few thought that justice would finally be served. But that would not be the case as Dakolo’s suit demanding a letter of apology from Fatoyinbo was dismissed by Justice Oathman Musa who presided over the case. He ruled that the case was an act of injustice and an abuse of the judicial process, describing it as empty and sentimental.
Last year, while the world was dealing with the strains of the pandemic, popular musician D’banj was in the news for allegedly raping a lady, Seyitan Babatayo. Again, after a series of legal battles, Seyitan withdrew her petition against the singer who maintained his innocence throughout. That case like Dakolo’s yielded no big #MeToo moment.
In Nigeria, 30 per cent of girls and women aged between 15 and 49 reported having experienced sexual abuse. The prevalence of sexual abuse such as sex for roles/marks (both in the academic and creative sectors), abuse of minors are often done with impunity because of the limited access to justice, particularly when a prominent figure is involved. Oftentimes, such cases are dismissed for lack of evidence, mainly because the victims did not report the crime on time. As such, the veracity of their allegation is often questioned and sometimes described as a defamatory act.
Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan tried to address the sexual abuse of students by lecturers which is prevalent in universities in his movie ‘Citation’.
Perhaps, the recent case of the popular Yoruba actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka aka Baba Ijesha may tip the scales of justice in favour of victims and bring celebrities who hide behind their veneers of stardom to commit atrocities to justice.
The actor was accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the care of popular comedian, Adekola Adekanya, otherwise called Princess. After receiving CCTV footage that found him culpable, the actor was arrested on April 22. It was gathered that the actor defiled the minor when she was seven-year-old, and seven years later, he again carried out his pedophilic actions on her.
His action has drawn severe backlash from the public, albeit not everyone is throwing stones at the actor.
Recently, over 7,500 persons signed a petition started by Aunt Landa’s Bethel Foundation on behalf of the victim’s foster mother, to prevent the release of the actor. The petition was titled ‘Olanrewaju James Omiyinka must not be released in Nigeria for defiling a seven-year-old girl’.
As of Tuesday, the Lagos State Government advised the state Police Command to charge the actor to court over the sexual abuse allegation against him. The advice was given by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions which revealed that Baba Ijesha may be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty in court.
In a statement signed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos, Hon. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), the state government recommended that the actor should be charged under the following provisions of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015:
“Section 135, Indecent Treatment of a child — punishable by seven years imprisonment; Section 137, Defilement of a Child — punishable by life imprisonment; Section 261 Sexual Assault by Penetration — punishable by life imprisonment; Section 262, Attempted Sexual Assault by Penetration — punishable by 14 years imprisonment and Section 263, Sexual Assault — punishable by three years imprisonment.
“Whilst the State would ensure that Mr Olanrewaju James’s rights as enshrined in the Constitution are upheld, the Ministry of Justice would not relent in its efforts in ensuring that whoever sexually abuses any resident of Lagos State is speedily brought to book,” the statement read.
The statement also revealed that since the establishment of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team in 2014, the Ministry of Justice has to date prosecuted over 800 cases of sexual and domestic offences.
So far, the handwriting on the wall indicates that Baba Ijesha may not escape the hammer of the law. Perhaps, his case will be a reckoning one for the entertainment industry and encourage young persons and women who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of untouchable celebrities and prominent persons in the business and political landscape to report their abusers.
