Rape, the State and Society: A Historical Study of Responses to Rape in South-Eastern Nigeria, c. 1940-1990.

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Rape is a prevalent problem in Nigeria. Reports indicate that 1 in 4 Nigerian girls are raped before the age of 18 (UNICEF 2020). Recent claims by the Federal Government puts the number of Nigerian girls and women being raped annually to two million (Daily Trust 2019). Despite these disturbing developments being indicative of society-wide problem, academic analysis is dominated by legal and psychological studies focused on sexual offenders rather than broader social responses (Onyejekwe 2008, Olatunji 2012, Folayan 2014). The research aims to explore the changing legal definitions of rape and the diverse responses of government to rape in South-Eastern Nigeria, investigating changing legal, penal and social policies against rape.Archival evidence from native and provincial courts establishes the high prevalence of rape in South-Eastern Nigeria from the early to mid-twentieth century. Following independence, the federal government of Nigeria promulgated the penal and criminal codes in a bid to combat the crime and also ratified multiple international laws and conventions to address the historical discrimination and violence against women and girls. In spite of these efforts, the number of children, girls, and women who are raped has continued to increase tremendously. In response, local communities have staged demonstrations to question and challenge the effectiveness and efficiency of the judicial system while non-governmental organizations have increased their activities and collaborated to end rape (Human Rights Watch 2020, George, 2021).This doctoral research based on written, archival sources and oral history will examine how states and Nigerian society have understood and responded to rape from c.1940 to 1990. This time period allows comparative analysis of colonial, democratic and military dictatorship responses, and covers both peacetime and wartime patterns of sexual violence, with the Nigerian-Biafran civil war (1967-70). It will provide longitudinal and contextual data to drive impact with policy makers and NGO/advocacy groups in the South Eastern region of Nigeria and at the federal level. Historical documentation on the responses to sexual violence is essential for informing and influencing a more evidence-based policy and action against the crime, and to learn from previous failed efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence. The start date c.1940 signifies a start of new penal reformism and legal reform across British Africa, whilst the project stops in 1990s with the introduction of the criminal and penal codes in Nigeria and a human rights activism, where existing literature provides coverage. A case study-based approach allows for a broad analysis of social responses within a manageable PhD-length project, with South-Eastern Nigeria selected due to the high prevalence of rape in the region, historically and contemporaneously, and wide availability of historical evidence. The study is guided by four questions: 1. How did both colonial and post-colonial Nigerian governments define and conceptualize rape? 2. How effective were the laws made by colonial and post-colonial governments in addressing rape? 3. What punitive measures were adopted by colonial and post-colonial government against sexual offenders? 4. What strategies did the public use to address, limit or seek justice against rape?