Of Rape and (Nigerian) Facebook Activism

(By Hymar Idibie David) - The Vex On The Go. 

We are talking about the rape issue, holding conversations, trying to consciously create a free-to-speak-up environment for victims. We are consciously trying to trend the issue into national consciousness because everyone knows social media is power. Of course it has always been a national issue, just that it is treated with hush hush and wrist-slap gloves. We didn't start talking about it today. We have always been talking about it. 

You are a decent human being. I know that. I can sense that in you. But because someone is a decent person doesn't mean they are not capable of now and then acts and utterances of just plain idiocy. 

Idiocy like calling our conversations and engagements on the rape issue noise. Social media noise. Facebook trending topic of the day(s).

I am sorry, but please clam the hell up.

Sugabelly, Rape, and Audu's Sons

Anti-rape protesters in Lagos; source: Reuters

(Reuben Abati)--You probably don’t know Sugabelly. I don’t know her either. But it is the twitter handle of a Nigerian lady: @sugabelly, who in the wake of the death of former Governor Abubakar Audu of Kogi State felt the urge to go public with her story. My foregrounding her/story as opposed to his/story, is further affirmation of an earlier submission that Audu’s death is “inconclusive” (The Guardian, Nov 27).

As the rest of Nigeria mourned the death of Abubakar Audu and pondered the implications of an inconclusive electoral process, Sugabelly showed up on social media and started celebrating his death. Her message was that the death of the man was good riddance to bad rubbish. “I feel so amazing”, she wrote. “Like God actually answered my prayers… That’s usually how it is. Powerful people rarely remember the people whose lives they destroy.”