By Patricia Uyeh

Nigerian singer, Osayamwen Nosa Donald, popularly called Djinee,  who has been off the Nigerian music scene for quite a while  shared an emotional story of a rape victim on his social media handle and used the opportunity to speak out for rape victims.

In a lengthy post, he described a lady’s traumatic rape experience

Djinee wrote:

“I will never be able to understand why a man will rape a woman.

”Never! If you follow any of my social media platforms religiously, you’d have come across a couple of my posts condemning the act in its entirety

”Why the vituperation, some critics might say? Over the years I’ve had victims share their experiences with me.

”Experiences so graphic, I feel like extreme measures of discipline by the law should be specially executed on the perpetrator(s) of this evil against society.

”I do not run an NGO, neither am I a counsellor for these ladies to share such personal details of their lives with me. I would like to think that I exude a non judgmental vibe. One that is alien to a society such as ours that seeks to blame the victim rather than the perpetrator(s).

”Now, because some people still do not believe rape is a regular occurring crime and that the victims didn’t “ask for it”, I’ve decided to share some victims’ stories, in their own words, unedited. Of course I had to seek their permission and though I said unedited, I’ve left out details so as to protect the victims’ identities.

”So here’s our first friend, Jane (not her real name). She had told me her story some years ago. I remember when and how she told me. I only told her to write it down and send to me not too long ago, so I could capture her words.

”Rape is real and the perpetrators live amongst us.

”VICTIM’S STORY:    I was super excited when I got an admission letter from the Lagos state polytechnic Isolo years after I failed JAMB which was frustrating.

”On my first day of going to register, a guy walked up to me and said someone was calling me. I refused and explained to him politely saying. I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s me they sent you to call, because its my first day in school. I don’t know anybody and nobody knows me and still didn’t follow him, then I went to the admin office to register.

”I was sitting in one of the school halls when a group of five guys walked up to me in the hall. The man, who sent the guy was with them and said angrily shouting “get up”!

”I stood, “I sent someone to call you, you refused? In this school!” I just kept quiet because I didn’t do anything wrong. “what’s your name? He asked, I didn’t answer, he yelled!

”What’s your name again. At that point I became scared but still kept quiet. Another guy from that group asked what course I was studying and what year, they wanted to know everything about me but I said nothing.

”As they were leaving, I heard one of them say “we would make life miserable for her in this school in Yoruba language. I told my mum what happened, she just told me to be careful and asked what I wore. I said a pair of jeans and a top. “just stay out of trouble she said.

”On that fateful day, we were supposed to have a test to write. It was a part-time program I registered for. I got to school early enough to read a little before the test and I’m the kind of person who loves to read listening to music. I was reading with music with ear piece and wasn’t aware of the latest development around me.

”Before I could realize what was happening around me, it was already late. I saw students jumping out of the window. I hurriedly packed my stuffs and wanted to rush out through the door but met three hefty masked guys armed with baton, cutlass, guns, charms on their neck coming into the hall, I walked backwards in fear cos their looks were really scary one of the three guys said hmmm! Finally, the stubborn girl.

”I could hear him leer suggestively from his voice could recognize that voice from my first day of registration in that school but couldn’t see the face because of the mask.

  ”I was alone with another girl that didn’t escape early enough like me. I shook from fear when I heard “strip”!  From the guy that called me stubborn but pretended as if I didn’t hear.

”The other girl started screaming. Strip for what? She cursed them out which got them angry. I was still thinking of how to escape when they pulled the trigger and shot the girl. I didn’t know when I screamed so loud shaking seriously from the sound of the gun shot.

”I was immediately hit with the baton and I fell to the ground seeing blurry scenes. The one I could recognize his voice ripped my jeans with a pen-knife.

”I was crying and begging him not to but he rammed into me roughly, when he was done, he wanted to snatch the gun from one of those other guys to shoot me but he refused and told him it was time to go and they left.

”I couldn’t believe I wasn’t killed; I had seen my funeral. I was sad but somehow happy I was left to tell the story.  I was irritated and cried uncontrollably, I felt like dying.

 ”I managed to get up to leave, saw dead bodies scattered about the school premises as I walked weakly towards the school gate. As I was getting to the gate, I saw a head hung on the school gate dripping blood on the ground. There had been a rampage in school that day. Another cult group came and fought with the cult guys in the school. I wish I had not gone to school that day, It was bloody.

  ” As soon I was home, I went straight to the bathroom, scrubbed my body so hard, I cried like never before. Thank God my mum was not at home cos she would have noticed and I don’t know what she would have done.

”I opted out of school and when she began asking questions, I decided to enroll in a photography school to stay away from home.

 ” I later had malaria that no drugs could cure and start growing lean. The malaria refused to go so I was advised to go for HIV test which came out positive.

My life changed in so many ways. I got tired of life. I isolated myself, attempted suicide three times, cried all day. Thank God I’m strong now and I’m almost through with school.”

Photo credit: Instagram @Djinee