Femicide

By Olanike Ometere Bolaji 

Just like every other gender base violence against women and girls, femicide is a problem that affects every other country across the globe.

Femicide is the act of killing women or girls because of their gender, and it can take place in different ways, such as the murder of a woman by her intimate partner or the torture or slaying of women and girls in the name of honour.

According to the research carried out by the United Nations Women’s Organization in 2022. It shows that Africa recorded the largest number of female intimate partner and family-related killings with an estimated 20,000 victims, followed by Asia with 18,400, then America with 7,900, in Europe 2,300 and 200 in Oceania. This report also shows that these women or girls were mainly killed by their partners, close friends or other family members.

Nigeria is not left out on the issue of femicide or gender-based violence. We mostly wake up with such news that makes the headlines in many newspapers. An example of this is the issue of Adeleye Ayomide, a 23-year-old 200-level philosophy student at Olabisi Onabanjo University Ogun State. He kidnapped and murdered his friend Christianah Idowu, a student at the Federal University of Technology Abeokuta.

From the investigation carried out by the police, Christina was declared missing on 19 August 2024. Adeleye demanded 3 million from her family members. They negotiated with him, and then he reduced it to 1.5 million. After paying the sum of  350  thousand naira into his betting account, the police authorities were able to track him down. But he had already killed the girl and buried her in his family compound in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

An X user with the username @adetejumi gave an in-depth narrative saying the young serial killer killed his ex-girlfriend in 2018 and his blood sister in 2020, which his parents were aware of. His cousin testified to this because they were part of those who secretly exposed him to the police. Though his parents refused to cooperate with the authorities, after he was arrested, he confessed to committing the crime. According to the report, he committed his first murder at the age of 17, the second at age 20 and the third at 23 precisely.

Another example is the case of Gracious David West. This 40-year-old man was sentenced to death by hanging in Port Harcourt by Justice Adolphus Enebeli for killing nine women from July to September 2019. He was caught at a bus stop while he was trying to escape to Uyo after the police circulated his pictures, which were taken from a CCTV camera of the hostel where he killed his last victim.

Curious audiences have raised a lot of questions and comments on femicide cases about how some of these serial killers are able to live normally without being caught easily. Some of the causes  given by experts are:

1. Borderline disorder (the fear of abandonment or rejection).

2. Anti-social personality disorder: a mental health condition which makes people not show regard for right or wrong and ignore the rights or feelings of others.

3. Family background or Childhood experience.

4.  Misogynistic (Hatred for women).                        

5. Schizotypal personality disorder is when an individual has unconventional beliefs, which causes them to act strange.

   Doc Scott Bonn, a criminologist, author and public speaker, mainly said all serial killers or femicide have psychological compartmentalization, which means the ability to completely separate an aspect of one’s life that seems contradictory. They can successfully be good to people and sadistic without anyone noticing.

From the articles I read online, health personnel advised that those with the above disorder should seek help from doctors or therapists. Though these disorders can’t be cured completely, they can be appropriately managed.  The issue of femicide cannot be wholly eradicated, but with certain measures like implementing policies for gender equality and creating rehabilitation programs for children who have been violated or traumatized by certain childhood experiences or orientations.

Olanike Ometere Bolaji wrote via nickyberry171@gmail.com.