Gang rape duo arrested after bloggers force Nigerian police into action

Nigerian police have arrested two students in connection with a gang rape after a pair of outraged bloggers forced them into action. Bloggers Linda Ikeji and Sugarbelly garnered online support to identify the rapists.

The Voice reported in September that the two men are thought to have been part of a gang of five men, who brutally raped a young woman in a video that was later posted online.

In the video, thought to be recorded on the Albia State university campus, the women can be heard pleading with her attackers to kill her, according to reports.

It is believed that the perpetrators recorded the attack and then distributed it to other students at the university.

However, police were forced to close the investigation because the victim, who can be identified in the footage, did not come forward.

But bloggers Linda Ikeji and Sugarbelly were so horrified by the decision to close the case that they offered a reward to anyone with information.

Together they garnered such overwhelming support online that members of the Nigerian parliament called for the case to be reopened.

Three days later, the online uproar and clues posted on forums helped Albia State detectives make the arrests.

However, the Nigerian Government and university officials deny the incident took place in University or that anyone involved was a student of the school.

Despite the arrests, activists are using the media attention surrounding this incident to draw attention to what they see as an “under-reported epidemic of rape” in Nigeria, AP reports.

“The woman who wants to report rape does not have the confidence in the justice system in Nigeria," said Akiyode-Afolabi, executive director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre.

Read the full story at The Voice

Linda Ikeji is a Lagos based Nigerian ex-model, entrepreneur and blogger. She is also the author of the book "It takes you". Her blog is at http://lindaikeji.blogspot.com



It's very good that these two bloggers took action. At the same time it's sad to know that every every 1.3 minute a person is raped.