Editor's Note: The author is a Nigerian member of Advocates' International Youth Activist Network.

Seemingly a lot has been said about rape and other violence against women both at home, school and work but the question remains to be answered, can we really over say? Apparently the answer will be in the negative. Here in Nigeria, for the first time, the issue of women violence has caught the attention of the lawmakers and in unison, they have condemned the act.

Just last week, a terrible thing happened at the Abia State University in Nigeria. A young girl at the university was raped by five boys whom we suspect are also students at the university. The hoodlums from the videos obviously took her to an unknown place and decided to commit such a dastardly act on the helpless young girl who begged at each turn from the rogues to be free. The rogues had obviously at that moment lost every sense of humanity in them as they laughed, jeered and celebrated each other while they took their turn in perpetuating their wicked act. The annoying part of the story is that the vice chancellor of the university is denying the fact that the girl is a student and the state governor has totally refused to acknowledge and admit that such act happened in his state — how irresponsible! I do not wish to paint the grotesque picture anymore to anyone, the only picture I have decided to paint is the picture of us speaking up and taking a stand against such beastly and condemnable acts in the society.

On this issue, it worthy to commend the efforts of some organizations who have taken up this cause and are ready to fight for it until we all see the finish line. These organizations have joined forces to push down the walls of bureaucracy amongst the relevant authorities whom we know should participate in this fight. Speaking on the issue of fighting bureaucracy, EVA, along with members of the YAG also decided to join in the solidarity fight. Today, the group paid visits to the relevant ministries on this issue. The ministries visited were the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Social Development and the Ministry of Education. On getting to the Ministry of Women's Affairs, we were met by the honourable minister’s representative who couldn’t almost wait for us to be gone. According to him, the minister had sent a letter to the inspector-general of police on the issue of how to fish out the perpetrators of the act and so was waiting for the next action. Waiting for the next action? How dare that question of what next even arise in their minds? Well, I think this response was more diplomatic compared to the Ministry of Education workers who would just not get involved in the issue and claimed the civil service rule of non-alignment. It is saddening to note that at the Ministry of Women's Affairs those who refused to say any meaningful word on the subject matter were women. How sick! Can we still trust these women any longer to carry our collective voices past the noisy streets of the administration?<

But no sooner had we thought that we were left alone to fight than Damilola Ade from Digital Press International spoke on the need for the civil society to form a coalition on advocacy against sexual violence and also for the need for the honourable minister of Women's Affairs to pay a courtesy visit to the inspector general. Again another woman took the initiative to have a meeting with the majority leader of the house of assembly and other women in power on the need for a bill to be passed on the issue of violence against women. Also, members of the Youth Advocates Group made recommendations on how the relevant authorities should not rest on their oars.

Finally I think the relevant law enforcement agencies like the court and the prisons should prepare to welcome those criminals into the home of justice. We would not settle for less on this issue. We are ready to put up a good fight and so the government and its partner called  bureaucracy!