In Mangu, a small community in Bauchi State, residents are going about their daily routine amidst  sunny and hot day occasioned by high humidity typical of arid region.

Under this unbearable temperature, a terrified teenage girl, Hauwa, accompanied by one of her peer ran into small a mud house.

Hauwa is sobbing uncontrollably and blood gushing out down her tiny legs.

She couldn’t speak but stood still in tears as an elderly woman in the house began to ask her the reasons behind her tears.

“Are you sick? Did you fall or is it a stomach ache?” asked Kande, the elderly woman.

Suddenly, she noticed blood flowing through the poor little girl.

“She was raped,”  Mrs Auwa Yusuf, the victim’s mother answered.

Yusuf said that a 17-year-old boy forcefully had canal knowledge of the victim on Nov. 25, at mangu village in Shira Local Government Area of the state.

“She was returning from Maulud celebration together with her friend, and on the way back home, the rapist grabbed her (Hijab) veil, and forced himself on her.

“She came home crying and her friend narrated what happened. They mentioned the name of the boy.

“I immediately called the father who reported the matter to the Police,” she said.

Narating his ordeal, Mr Yusuf Mohammed, the victim’s father said that he also took the girl to hospital for treatment and clinical analysis.

He said the case was also referred to the Bauchi State Sexual Assault Referral Center (BASARC),    adding that police had arrested the culprit.

“This is barbaric and law must take its course on perpetrators of such acts.

“With this incident, I will engage with parents to dialogue on this matter.

“I will not allow my daughter to be stigmatised by members of the public over something she did not plan for it to happen.

“The boy is not even from our community, yet he followed and raped her,” Mohammed said.

He, therefore, advised parents to ensure proper upbringing of their children and create awareness on the ills of rape.

*Concern over rape cases*

Hauwa’s case is ‘the tip on the iceberg’, as health and security agencies in Bauchi have expressed concern over the spate of rape, abuse and violence cases against women and girls in the state.

Statistics by BASARC showed that 200 Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases had been recorded from February 2023 to November 2023, in the state.

The factsheet indicated that incidents of rape and homosexuality topped the chart.

The Head of the BASARC centre, Hajiya Hadiza Muhammad, said that most of the incidents occurred in rural communities affecting mainly minors ranging from zero to 12 years.

She said the survivors presented health threatening symptoms such offensive odors, rashes, discharge, among others.

*Treatment/Rehabilitation*

The Bauchi government in collaboration with development partners was providing free treatment and psycho social support services to the victims through the BASARC.

The programme is designed to treat and protect the victims against contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs), HIV and other diseases as well as reduce stigma and facilitate their full reintegration into the society.

According to Muhammad, SGBV victims are being treated with Antiretroviral Drug (RTD) to manage infections after clinical screening.

She said the Centre adopted proactive measures for proper mentorship, treatment and effective management to ensure completion of treatment of the survivors.

“Some of the survivors undergo treatment process from four to five times before they are fully healed.

“So, we avoid stigmatisation, this is the reason why the BASARC is within the Obstetric and Gynecology ward,” she said.

Muhammad said that mentorship and training of all staff in the unit has been prioritised to ensure effective management of survivors of SGBV, to enable them to enjoy a healthy living.

*Challenges/Administration of Justice as solution to rape*

Experts identified lack of jurisdiction of the lower courts to try rape cases as bane of the campaign against the nefarious act in the state.

Justice Saad Zadawa of the Bauchi State Hgh Court, said that: “the Chief Magistrates (1) has no jurisdiction under the Bauchi State Administration of Criminal Justice Law (BSACJL) 2022, to try any other offences; the punishment of such conviction is 14 years or fine of N1million there of.

“The way forward in the trial of rape cases is to increase the jurisdiction of Chief magistrates (1) by amending the law”.

Corrobirating earlier opinion, Mrs Amina Garuba, Executive Director, Ikra Foundation for Women and High Development advocated for amendment of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law to empower lower courts to try rape cases in the state.

She said the VAPP law states that the conviction of rape is life imprisonment and those who committed the offence against minors to be condemn to death by hanging.

Moreso; Mr Muhammad Usman, an official of the Bauchi State Ministry of Justice, stressed the need for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to highlight such grey areas as contained in the VAPP law for legislative actions to fast track effective review of the law.