Jumai Mshelia: How We Have Been Dealing with Rights Abuses in Borno

Barrister Jumai Mshelia is the head of the National Human Rights Commission, Borno state office.

She has been following up on almost all the human rights infringement cases in Borno state making her office which is always jam-packed with people looking for redress.

She speaks with Sam Kayode of www.metrowatchxtra.com  on what her commission had been doing to check the remarkably high rape cases in Borno state.

The commission has achieved a lot of support and awareness which has been created. Also two bills, child rights and violence against persons prohibition VAAP act has been passed. The celebration last year was a big plus to us. We stressed that all humans are born free with dignity and that they are all equal with respect to their human rights. We have done radio talks which cuts across all the languages to ensure that the message is passed to everyone.

Last year was the 30th year of the 16 days of activism and each day has its own specific theme. Additionally, we adorned our venues with a special orange which became the official color of the celebration. We created awareness for gender based violence which has been rampant and we emphasized that there should be zero tolerance for the scourge of rape.

We have kept on sensitizing people by emphasizing reporting and shaming of the perpetrators whenever such evils occurred. If they don’t shame the rapist, the survivor may be dying in silence while the wrong doer goes about free.

They don’t have any specific reason. I think it’s just wickedness. When they catch them and report to us they used to say it’s the devil’s work. But to us it’s about their wickedness which is a wrong doing before the law. They do this with a wicked mindset. I don’t think it has anything to do with the devil. You can be in the middle of any of the sexes mingling and nothing will happen but the moment you make up your mind that you must do that evil, it will happen. They commit this in various formats. Some do it physically while others use ritual formats at the back ground.

This is why we always emphasis that reports should be made within the hour when the act is still fresh. Report should be made either directly to the police or a doctor who will then invite the police. It all depends on the proximity of where you are. The police is your sure bet because they have gender desks to help out.

The rape issue depends on the circumstances and the evidence as proven. Some are sent to jail for 15 years while others 21, it depends on the severity. Right thinking people still feel it’s not enough deterrent. They are agitating that the sentences should be increased and I think judges take discretion based on what comes before them. We on ours side try to emphasize on prevention rather than upholding the wrong doing. You find out that at times the victims of rape come after it’s too late. Sometimes when pregnancy has developed in the child and the evidence of penetration is lost. Then it becomes difficult to prove and you know, courts work with evidences without which there is no case.

Before, there were many but recently, you find out that the victims were unable to report some of these cases. They keep quiet. But when they are able to identify the culprits, we do prosecute.

What we are saying in terms of equality is that nobody should be discriminated upon for any reason. We are all born free and should be treated with dignity. If I am a security personnel, that should not give someone the power or authority to trample upon me and shoot me or anything at all. We are all equal before God as mortals. That is our stand and we should be treated as such.