The bustling at Festac Police Station on September 8 was unusual. As early as 7a.m., men from the community, civil society organisations, local government, police and others, were already at the station. The men were soon joined by all-male corps members. The men gathered at the Festac Police Station to stage a walk against domestic violence, rape of women and children as well as child labour.
The walk was an epic event; it was the first time men, often perpetrators of female battering and rape, would be standing up to say: “Enough is enough to domestic violence.” The event was organised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT). The epoch-making event was also simultaneously re-enacted at Alausa, Ikeja, where Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, led the walk.
The Festac walk was led by a member of DSVRT, Mrs. Bose Ironsi, who is also the executive director, Women’s Right and Health Project. In her black jeans, green Tshirt and fez cap, Ironsi looked set and ready for battle. It was difficult for anyone to believe Ironsi just left hospital a day earlier, in order to attend the men’s walk against domestic violence.
The walk started from Festac Police Station, at 2nd Avenue went through 3rd Avenue and ended at Federal Housing Authority (FHA) field. The walk caused gridlock as the men chased motorists to give them handbills, speaking against domestic violence and crimes perpetrated by men against women and children. It soon started raining. One would have expected the people to disperse.
They didn’t! They continued to distribute handbills, chanting: “Enough is enough! No more violence.” At the Alausa end, Ambode vowed that his administration would leave no stone unturned to ensure that all perpetrators of domestic violence and rape were made to face the wrath of the law.
The walk, which proceeded from Ikeja under Bridge through Awolowo Way to Lagos House in Alausa, witnessed the participation of dignitaries from all walks of life, including members of the State Executive Council, members of the state House of Assembly, key government functionaries, entertainers, youths, artisans and workers, among others.
Ambode, dressed in a black Tshirt and armed with a placard with the inscription: “Stop Rape, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse,” said it was time for men to stand up and take the bull by the horn in tackling the menace of genderbased violence. According to him, recent research has shown that women are prone to being victims of these crimes.
He said: “There is also an evident trend of suppressing the voice of these victims due to the fact that these acts are perpetrated largely by men. We should not take for granted the effect of having emotionally and psychologically damaged women in a society as the effect could transcend to their children who grow up in an environment, thinking this is the norm.”
According to him, his administration has initiated several programmes such as the provision of legal aid, shelter and psychological counselling services to assist these women. The governor said it was also pertinent to address the violent behaviour of men as it concerns rape, domestic violence and child abuse. He said: “The scale of men’s violence against women is enormous and its effects, demoralising.
Men as grandfathers, fathers, brothers, sons, husbands and public advocates, have a pivotal role to play in condemning all forms of violence against women, girls and boys. “We firmly believe that the way forward is to continuously engage the male folk as well as the community as a whole. Community engagement is an essential part of working to prevent and respond to all forms of genderbased violence. As men, we must stand up and speak in one voice, condemning these acts.
“No more would we condone or tolerate paedophiles, women beaters and rapists. It is inhumane and totally unacceptable to protect or even ignore such behaviour when we see it manifesting in our environment. “I will like you to join hands with me to say no to rapists, say no to women beaters and wherever they are. We know that the task force that we have set up will swing into action once it receives any petition from any member of the society.
We are looking for the first 11 scapegoats whether highly or lowly-placed in the society. We say no to domestic violence and sexual abuse.” At Festac walk, Ironsi marched in front like female Zulu warrior. She used a police mike to wake up the still slumbering Festac neighbourhood. She spoke against fathers raping daughters, men battering women and other crimes perpetrated against women.
She also talked about rising cases of men killing their wives and young men raping old women. Shouting into the mike, Ironsi said: “If your husband used to beat you, speak out! Men, stop raping our children and house helps. Lagos State says enough is enough! Rapists can’t escape the law. Stop beating your house helps.
Stop the violence! Take care of our children. Don’t sell your children.” Ironsi told our correspondent that the walk was one of the activities aimed at raising the awareness on domestic and sexual violence. She said: “We are having all men walk. We are expecting more than a thousand men.
They are saying no to violence. It is a unique walk because when you talk about perpetrators of violence against women, it is usually men. So, if men are saying no to domestic violence today, it means the game is up for those perpetrating it.” The Women’s Right and Health Project director added that men who hit women usually do so because they have a lot of energy. Ironsi suggested they should use such energy wisely. She said: “There has been increase in violence.
We need to put the message across that just because men have energy, they should not use it to rape our girls and women. There is no excuse for hitting a woman. “If you say you are angry with your wife and then hit her, why do not you get angry and hit your head against a wall? If you are angry, walk away. “Women have been raised to be quiet and submissive; this is why issues of violence have remained for long. We have different types of violence.
We have psychological, emotional and economic violence in the home. A man knows that his wife needs money, yet he would not provide it. Some of these men get angry and abandon the kids to their wives. The men, who are on this walk, are sending a very strong message that they should stop domestic violence. They are saying, ‘enough is enough.’”
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Festac Police Station, Mr. Monday Agbonika, who was part of the men on the walk, said the idea behind the walk was to enlighten people about the law. According to him, Lagos State Law prohibits rape, defilement and sexual assault He said: “The offences are punishable by life imprisonment. It is wrong to assault our women and children. “Homosexual is high in Festac. Even when our policemen go for arrest, they would want to rape them. Women in Festac now prefer women to have sex with them.”
According to Agbonika, if a man slides his finger into a child’s private part, it can attract life imprisonment. He added: “This walk is unique because it is being staged by men. It is the first time men are speaking out against domestic violence. “The walk will make a big mark in Festac. We have high incidence of domestic violence in Festac.
At least, more than any other place I have worked. It is possible that such cases are being reported here in Festac because the victims are educated or it could be the occurrence is high.” Agbonika said he was shocked to discover that some men, who were arrested and detained for battering their wives, did not understand why they should be arrested.
He said: “They feel they own their wives. Like in Festac, the men are rich. After making money, a man goes to the village to marry a young girl. Some may even pay the wife’s brothers’ school fees. Within years, she had given birth to four kids.
“She is still relatively young and most of them are usually beautiful. When you see them, you would not believe they have given birth, let alone to have four children. The husband is usually quite older. The rich husband has bought her an expensive car. She is now a big girl, cruising around town in a Jeep. She has also started making friends in Lagos.
She used to be controlled before, now she refuses to be controlled. She refuses to obey. And the husband could not understand why she should not obey him. He feels he owns her just because he married and is taking care of her. Many of them do not understand why they should be prosecuted for beating their wives.”
Although there were hundreds of men who participated in the walk, one of them stole the show. The man is Mr. Anthony David Takon Junior. He is the youth president of Festac Town. He was tireless. He kept chasing motorists, to ensure they collected handbills. Even when it was raining, he continued with his distribution.
When others started lagging behind, tired, Takon continued to run from one end of the road to the other, pursuing motorcycle riders and motorists. Before he threw the handbill into open car window, he would yell, “don’t beat your wife.” If the receiver of the handbill is a woman, he would tell her, “if your husband beats you, report to the police.”
Many motorists laughed at him, but he was undeterred. Takon told our correspondent he was happy such an event was happening in Festac. According to him, there has been an alarming increase in rape in Festac. The youth president saw the walk against rape as timely. He said: “In recent times, we have been experiencing alarming cases of rape in Festac. Girls going to church in the early hours of the morning are always raped. We have repeatedly complained to the police.
We are, however, happy today, that this walk is happening here in Festac. We hope it will put an end to rape. “As for domestic violence, for people that are married, men should understand.
If your wife does not want it that way, be kind and gentle with her. “It is, however, very important for ladies to study the men they want to marry, so they do not fall into the hands of men who beat women. “This walk is for both young and old people. I appreciate the organisers and the Festac Police Station DPO, Agbonika. He is one of the best we have ever had.”https://newtelegraphonline.com/men-kick-rape-domestic-violence/
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