#MeTooCampaign: Missing The Target

I daresay that the #MeToo movement, especially in Nigeria is fast becoming a dangerous nuisance. The recent wave of rape accusations against some well-known men is quite overwhelming. I call it too much information with no information. Coming to the social or traditional media to accuse someone of rape is nothing short of character defamation. What do you hope to achieve by doing that? You cannot get justice that way. Anyone can accuse anyone. That doesn't mean the accuser is right and the accused guilty. There are due processes that must be followed. There's the police and the courts. Naturally ineffective, I know. But before you come to fill our ears with your rape stories, go and report it first to those who are saddled with the responsibility to do something about it and we will make sure they do their job. But if you report to us alone, what can we do?? If I were the person you accused, I would simply sue you for defaming my character or counter-accuse you of being a drug addict who is mentally ill. At the end of the day, the matter will die a natural death or you will get into the trouble you were setting up for me. 

Looking at the COZA pastor case for instance, he has been forced to resign and well, that's about it. He would take legal action against his accuser as is his right and so far, he remains very innocent. But if the accusation was made through the right channels, he would have had a basket-load of trouble on his hands! If forcing him to resign was the accuser's aim, I daresay it was a very lame one. Being out of office doesn't stop him from continuing the crime, does it? He could go start a church of his own and go on to continue what he was accused of! In fact, the way the accusation was made has put the life of the accuser and that of millions of other women in danger. Such highly placed offenders will surely learn from this and decide to hunt down their old victims before they get the chance to speak out, while aspiring offenders would create a dangerous to-do checklist so they would not end up being accused too. So instead of bringing justice, this new wave of improper accusations would increase the chances of murder, threat, blackmail and further assault of rape victims by their attackers. It would also bore the initially sympathetic public and turn them against the alleged victims or accusers. All these would add up to totally discourage women/girls who have been raped to speak out to the right people. 

Accuse whoever you like, but just do it right. For your own sake and that of others like you.