Vera-Gold Foundation CEO Urges Tinubu Government to Sign Anti-Rape Bill, Calls for Life Sentences for Offenders

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Vera-Gold Foundation, Mrs. Chika Osagiede, has appealed to the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu to urgently sign the anti-rape bill into law.

She stressed that the legislation must prescribe life imprisonment for offenders to serve as a strong deterrent, noting that rape remains a severe and escalating menace in society.

According to Osagiede, the foundation is committed to pursuing justice for all rape victims—male or female—emphasising that male victims are often ignored.
“The male can also be raped. Anytime there is no consent or the consent is not genuine, rape has occurred,” she said.

She lamented that many rape cases involve ritual motives or are perpetrated or protected by influential individuals. Citing an incident in Benin, she claimed that the offender’s powerful status made securing justice nearly impossible.

Osagiede explained that the Vera-Gold Foundation—registered in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and Spain—focuses on combating rape and supporting survivors nationwide. However, she criticised the justice system for frustrating victims’ pursuit of justice.

“We’ve seen cases where victims are asked to pay money before investigations proceed. When they can’t pay, the cases are abandoned,” she stated.

She narrated a disturbing case in Jos where a 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a lawyer who tricked her into accepting a ride. Her parents only discovered what had happened when she fell ill, and doctors confirmed she was pregnant. Osagiede claimed the police refused to make any arrests because the family could not meet financial demands.

Describing the rise in rape cases as “disturbing and getting out of hand,” she revealed that the foundation is currently monitoring a similar case involving a lawyer in Abuja.