He raped me while I was decently dressed, He raped you while you were indecently dressed. Why?- By Yusuf Tolha Ayinde

By; Yusuf Tolha Ayinde.
My Criminological View. 

Rape has taken over the atmosphere, gone viral on social medias and has indeed got people talking. It has become a trend overnight following the recent rape cases. Usually, Nigerians have the zeal to take up a trend from the start and along the line drop it when carried away by another. My question to us is, What do we prioritize?. There is a slang that goes thus "na start you get, you no get finishing", its applicability suits us without no check for mirror. I hope this unfortunate trait of ours won't die along its quest to stop the incessant rape cases in Nigeria.

Recently, arguments have ensued between both genders as to the actual causes of rape, indecent dressing or regardless?. This argument got stronger following the death of an Hijabi (one who covers all part of her body) who was raped and stabbed. I know what you thinking, what could be the cause since the two aforementioned hypotheses have tested positive? Why do rapists cling on both like a bait?

First, I would like you to journey with me on the root causes of crimes (e.g. rape) in Nigeria.

A criminal act (such as rape) could be successfully carried out regardless of your appearance (decent or indecent). It's unfortunate that a society like Nigeria lacks the essential elements of crime prevention and control which i would unequivocally pinpoint as the root causes of this unfortunate phenomenon bedeviling the society. 

Crime prevention in Nigeria is in a dormant state, struggling for its trigger. It involves some essential elements which Humans as family, People as society and Nigeria as a country have FAILED❌ to implement. They are;

- Societal crime prevention; which involves the first primary agent of social control which is the FAMILY. Socialization of an individual in a family determines his or her likelihood to commit crime having gotten a strong societal bond ( Attachment to significant orders, Commitment to goal driven groups, Involvement in religious activities, and lastly Belief in reward for hard work)

- Situational crime prevention; which explains the need for a society to devise good security measures such as the installation of CCTV and mounting street lights on strategic places, strong security locks, security light in places of residence among others.

- Environmental crime prevention which focuses on the structure of the society particularly the houses therein. Where and how they are built determine their vulnerability to crime. 

How fortunate would it have been if the concerned stakeholders (Family, Society, Government) fully implement the aforesaid preventive techniques, crimes wouldn't have pervaded the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. Although, it answers your questions as to why you could be raped even if properly dressed. No offence!. 

Crime control involves the three(3) processes of Nigeria Criminal Justice System; Police, Court, and Prison. Don't be aback that the skeletal input of these agencies have contributed to the increase in crime rates. Criminals who have gone through these processes have failed to be reformed as a result of poor reformatory needs, thus, leading to high recidivism rate (i.e. the rate at which a criminal re-offends after been released to the society). More criminals are produced as a result.

The notion of those in support of the fact that indecent dressing causes rape cannot be over emphasized. Criminals are regarded as mentally ill individuals who exhibit anti-social behaviors which normal people perceive insanely.

Criminals could be internally or externally driven to behave irrationally. In this case, the hybrid system works (i.e. the fusion of internal and external drives), "the outward indecent dressing of a lady, revealing all sensitive part of her body triggers or in other words arouses the internal biological functioning of a likely criminal which propels him to act irrationally for the satisfaction of urge." Your mode of dressing makes you vulnerable and a likely victim. Never you make yourself a bait. 

In essence, the indecent dressing calls out the mens rea (guilty motive) in a likely criminal, consequently leading to the actus reus (guilty act).

In summary, we all have a role to play. Ladies! Be prayerful, watchful of what you wear, where you go, and the time you spend outside because you are the most vulnerable. Men! Pedal softly because what goes around comes around. You are the most likely offender. Family! Reform your offsprings and ensure upright upbringing. Government! We look up to you for security, we voted to enjoy safety. Do your part.

Yusuf Tolha Ayinde is a graduate of Criminology and Security Studies from the University of Ilorin.