The 10 minutes video which revealed the five men taking sexual turns on the lady who wailed heavily and pleaded that she should be killed while the rape lasted was brought to fore by a life-style and entertainment blogger; Linda ikeji’s blog as the video was shared on the internet.

The rape is alleged to have occurred in Abia state-in Nigeria’s South-east region-and the rapists are alleged to be students of the Abia State University (ABSU). The rape video is alleged to have been recorded in August and shared amongst students on ABSU Campus.

Nigerian social media sphere took on the video and the condemnation went virile on both Facebook and Twitter. Some individuals have put together a sum of N200,000 ($1,350) as a reward for anyone that can reveal the identities of the rapists.

In the video, the faces of the men could not be seen as the camera was placed behind them. Conversations by the men (in both English and Igbo languages-local dialect) during the course of the rape revealed the first names of the rapists.

The state and university authorities have at different instances denied the rape with the state governor Theodore Orji is quoted to have claimed that the video was the “handiwork of his political detractors” while the university authorities have also denied the incident happening with its campus.

According to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Chibuzor Ogbuagu, “the university has started investigating the matter, and found out that the video clip has been in circulation in the past few months in various universities across the country.” “So, why are they now saying that it happened in our institution” he lamented. He affirmed that the gang rape never took place in Abia University.”

Unknown victims

A lot of calls have gone to the rape victim to come forward and identity the rapist. Rape in Nigeria is a stigmatized issue in Nigeria where the victims stand to suffer immense stigmatization hence; a lot of rapes are committed, unreported.

Leading the call for the victim to come forward and reveal the identity of the rapists is a member of Nigeria’s parliament; Honorable Abike Dabiri, who described the act as a “debasement of womanhood” urged the victim to approach her incommunicado and promised to take up the case.

The rape case which has since made its way into the mainstream media now has a number of women rights organizations protesting against rape, demanding for reforms on the nation’s law on rape.

The Nigerian House of Representatives during Thursday’s parliamentary deliberations instructed the Inspector General of Police to urgently investigate the case.

However, the state Commissioner of Police; Bala Hassan has expressed difficulties with investigating the crime that broke on social media. “We don’t investigate rape cases based on what people put on twitter. When a crime is reported, the DPO must send detectives to investigate the scene of the crime.” “Up till now have you seen the victim? Have you seen the scene of crime? Have you seen the suspects?” he asked, adding that “it is a very dangerous rumour that must be dismissed by all good meaning Abians-people from Abia state- and Nigerians.

Also the Abia state House of assembly has summoned the vice-chancellor to the plenary session on the issue.