Summary
Femicide remains a growing crisis in Nigeria, with many women and girls brutally murdered by men, revealing deep-rooted misogyny and the urgent need for justice and change.
In August 2023, Benjamin Best confessed to the brutal murder of his girlfriend Augusta Osedion on his Instagram posts. He commented, “ I mistakenly killed her and ran away out of fear. I want to do the right thing, and I will turn myself in.” Yet, eight months later, he still walks free on Nigeria’s soil.
Globally, femicide is seen as a serious violation of human rights and discrimination against women. Still, the deep-rooted belief that men have total control over women creates a circle of victim-blaming, societal stigma, and shame experienced by the victims’ families. Femicide is the most brutal and extreme male violence committed against women, yet less has been done to address this issue.
Male violence against women is a daily reality in Nigeria, where 25% of girls have experienced sexual violence before the age of 18, compared with 10% of boys, according to a 2014 UNICEF study. Femicide is a growing concern and pandemic in Nigeria. The DOHS Cares Foundation, an organisation fighting against SGBV, reported that between Sept. 21 and Oct. 22, 2024, it had recorded 12 femicide cases. In recent years, there has been an outrage over the killing of women like Uwavera Omoduwa, a 22-year-old raped and murdered in a church.
Yet, the justice system failed to see the injustice in GBV and the increase in the femicide trend.
Below a list of some women men have murdered over the years
- Ruth Okonyon was raped and brutally murdered in her apartment on September 10, 2021. This unfortunate incident highlights that even in the safety of their homes, women are consistently endangered and preyed upon by male perpetrators. Even when an alarm is raised to these gruesome killings, the police merely conduct surface investigation on it.
- 17 year old, Habeebah Akinsanya was kidnapped, raped, and macheted to death by one of her father’s farm workers on September 1, 2024. Her corpse was discovered the next day on her father’s farm.
- Like Ruth Okonypo, 14-year-old Obiamaka Orekwue, was raped and gruesomely head-smashed to death in her room by unknown men at her parents’ home on July 10, 2017. This act highlighted the vulnerability of women and girls in a male-dominated society.
- The experience and death of Taiwo Abodunde, a 41-year-old mother of three, truly reflect the physical violence women suffered at the hands of their intimate partners, most especially their husbands. Despite the restraining order placed on Olubunmi, her husband, he still attacked violently, thuds on her severally, and consistently hit her with their son’s skateboard, which led to her death.
- The gang-raped of 11-year-old Favour Oke Chukwu to death by unidentified men reflected that age is not a limitation to men’s evilness. If such a young girl could be raped and killed, then femicide should never be overlooked.
- The abode of her parent’s home could not protect 18-year-old Barakat Bello from being gang raped and macheted to death. Barakat was another shocking death that sent cold shivers down the spine of Nigerians in 2022.
- Bamise Ayanwole was a 22-year-old young woman who was raped and bashed to death by a BRT driver, Andrew Nice Omininikoron, on her way to help and stay with her sister-in-law who was in labour pains at the hospital.
- Known and loved for her heartfelt and inspiring gospel songs, 42-year-old Osinachi Nwachukwu experienced verbal and physical abuse and was eventually beaten to death by her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.
- Christiana Idowu was a 21-year-old, 300l undergraduate student of FUNAAB University who was murdered in cold blood by a family friend, Ayomide Adeleye.
- 22-years- old Glory Adekolure was a final year UNIBEN student who was raped and murdered by hoodlums.
- 17-year-old Falmata was brutally murdered by her uncle, Awana, who accused her (falmata) of disrespect. Falmata was one of the sacrificial lambs for the harmful cultural practice of hierarchy, deeply entrenched misogyny and vulnerability of women in rural societies such as Buma, a northern region in Nigeria, where the unfortunate incident occurred.
- 22-year-old Uwaila Vera Omozuwa was raped, stabbed multiple times, and left in her pool of blood at the church where she was a choir member for many years. She died a few days later. Her death portrays that even in the innermost house of God, women are still unsafe.
- 26-year-old Iniobong Umoren was a graduate of the University of UYO who was lured with a fake job interview and killed by Akpan Uduak. Iniobeng death is a reflection of the evil of men, which is one of the causes of femicide.
- Her boyfriend, Benjamin Best, brutally murdered 21-year-old Augusta Osedion. Despite their past relationship, Benjamin could not overcome his evilness as he horrifically murdered Augusta to satisfy his evilness.
- In a bid to get rich quickly, Okoligwe Damien Chinerem gruesomely murdered 20-year-old Justina Otuene Nkang, a 300l biochemistry student at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). She was not only murdered but her body was also mutilated with the intent to use it for a money ritual.
- Intimate partners are the most common people to commit femicide. This is reflected in the death of 25-year-old Olamide Alli, who was horrifically stabbed multiple times by Christ Ndule, her fiance and father of two children.
