A 47-year-old man, identified as Mr. Emi Sigah, has met a tragic end in Ekowe community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The incident occurred on Wednesday, following an allegation that he raped a 10-year-old girl. According to eyewitnesses, the deceased was subjected to a customary punishment, receiving about 40 strokes of cane.
The practice of administering up to 120 strokes of the cane as a deterrent against sexual offences is an age-old tradition in Ekowe. In this community, each of the 12 families administers 10 strokes of the cane, amounting to a total of 120 strokes. The rape victim had accompanied her aunt to a nearby farm when she was allegedly ambushed by the culprit.
The suspect was caught allegedly molesting the toddler in the nearby bush. In accordance with the community's tradition, the suspect was subjected to a 120-stroke flogging marathon. However, he fainted after enduring 40 strokes and was later confirmed dead. Some individuals in the community attempted to intervene, offering between N50,000 and N15,000 as options for the flogging. However, community youths insisted that the tradition must be followed to serve as a deterrent to others.
The Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Mr. Target Segibo, has condemned the action of the community youths, describing it as alien to modern laid-down processes of handling criminal cases. He urged people to report criminal suspects to the appropriate authorities, instead of taking the law into their own hands.
The brutal flogging of Mr. Emi Sigah is a stark reminder of the dangers of vigilantism and the need for the Bayelsa State government to take concrete steps to address the issue of mob justice in the state. The fact that community youths were willing to offer money to spare the suspect's life, but insisted on carrying out the flogging, raises questions about the motivations behind this barbaric practice. The arrest of the youth president and three others in connection with the death of the suspect is a welcome development, but more needs to be done to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. The Bayelsa State government must take responsibility for ensuring that justice is served in a fair and transparent manner, without resorting to extrajudicial means. By doing so, they can send a strong message that the rule of law will be upheld, and that mob justice will not be tolerated.
