The life of Nasir Salisu Zango, a Nigerian radio journalist with Freedom Radio, Kano State, and Hausa correspondent for Germany’s Deutsche Welle, is currently in jeopardy for reporting alleged rape of male students in a boys’ school in the northern state of Kano.

Last week Thursday, Zango told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that his life was threatened by three unknown men who claimed to be police officers. They accosted him at his home and asked him to stop reporting the alleged rape of male students of Hassan Ibrahim Gwarzo Secondary School. Adding that he would face consequences if he did not stop.

A police spokesman, Magaji Musa Majia in Kano State, told CPJ that because no official complaint on the case had been filed to the police, he was unaware of the allegation that policemen were involved in the threats against Zango. But the school principal, Mallam Bashir, told a different tale. He said that the police were indeed investigating Zango’s report about the school.

On a programme called “Inda Ranka,” which aired on Freedom Radio on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, an interview conducted by Zango with a 13-year-old rape victim receiving treatment in a hospital was broadcast. The boy said that at night strange men forcefully and repeatedly had sex with new students in the school. The boy’s mother who was also interviewed said that school authorities were trying to conceal the crime by preventing several other boys from seeking medical attention outside the school.

The Kano State government has since ordered the shutdown of Hassan Ibrahim Gwarzo Secondary School, over the alleged cases of rape, although Ibrahim Ayagi, the school’s proprietor, denies that students were raped, or stopped from getting medical attention. He also promised to sue the radio station for slander.

Peter Nkang, the representative of CPJ West Africa, has said that the threat to Zango’s life is a threat to the public’s right to know. In truth, it is more than that; it is yet another case of media repression, which poses a threat to true Journalism, and also proof that Nigeria has a rape culture. Zango had told CPJ that he was not intimidated by the threats and that he was doing a follow-up to his first report. A bold statement to which the average Nigerian would reply, “He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day.”

Media repression in Nigeria

Time and again, Nigerian journalists have been described as lazy and inefficient. With heavy criticism centred on their lack of investigative reporting and their unwillingness thereof. Compared to their counterparts in the West, and other parts of the world, who appear to be courageous risk takers, the Nigerian journalist would rather settle for a half-assed report, or smile home with an envelope; the result of which is a string of tainted reportage. Not fair to the Nigerian people right? They deserve to know the truth, but at what cost?

For years, Nigeria has recorded the deaths of journalists; those accidentally killed in the field, journalists killed by intent, those arrested, beaten, threatened, tortured, and maimed, all because they dared to go the extra mile. Chilling reports from the International Press Institute highlights the extent of media killings and repression in Africa, and across the globe.

Media repression in Nigeria dates back to the late 70’s and mid 80’s where the government prevented media houses from expressing their editorial opinions. Newbreed was shut down in 77, Tribune was shut down in 84, and Newswatch was a victim in 88. But it was not just the media houses, individual journalists were also targeted by the government, a typical example is that of crusading journalist, and founder of Newswatch, Dele Giwa, who was killed by a parcel bomb in October 1986.

In recent times, over 15 Nigerian journalists have been killed, including, Edo Ugbagwu – The Nation, Enenche Akogwu – Channels TV, and Zakariya Isa – Nigeria Television Authority, amongst several others. And just like Zango, there have been reported cases of journalists who received death threats. The apparent offence of these “fallen heroes” is simply that of truth-seeking; media personnel’s are killed and persecuted for going the extra mile, for taking risks and daring to report the truth. Perhaps, this explains the surge in online media and bloggers, who are ready to tackle issues, take on the government, and take risks, albeit faceless, or from a distance.

The culture of rape in Nigeria

In Nigeria, victims of rape are shunned and shamed; no one wants to be the known as the man or woman that was sexually abused, for fear of being labelled “damaged good” – this particularly applies to the female gender. This social stigma, coupled with the insensitive treatments rape victims suffer in the hands of the law is a major reason rape is under-reported in Africa’s most populous nation. Most times, victims are criticised as being responsible for the crime – it is common to see people blame rape on the woman’s appearance or whereabouts at the time of the crime.

There is also the distorted belief that there is no such thing as “marital rape”. The general idea is that once married, the husband has an absolute right to the wife’s body, hence it’s okay to have non-consensual sex with his wife.

Part of the response to social stigma is denial; denial of people and the denial of institutions. Rather than admit it is a problem that needs to be dealt with, it is seen as a taboo no one wants to be associated with. It is not the first time that an institution will deny connection to a rape case. When the infamous ABSU gang rape made international headlines in 2011, the school authority, along with the Abia State government, denied the authenticity of the video, saying it neither happened within or near the state.

The simple fact that a Nigerian journalist is staking his life to uncover the truth is laudable. The rare situation of having a family willing to discuss rape, and a woman brave enough to name an institution, indicates a shift in the conversation. If Nigeria had more journalists like Nasir Salisu Zango, and more families willing to share their stories, eventually, rape will no longer be seen as a taboo. It is only when Nigeria makes this advancement, can the issue of rape be effectively combated.

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