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‘Grace’ was on her way home from her sisters wedding when a family friend offered her a ride on his motorbike. She declined, but he insisted so she reluctantly accepted. He didn’t take her home but drove instead to a local primary school where his friend was waiting. The two men took turns raping her and she blacked out. Security guards caught the men and held them at gunpoint while they called the police. Grace was so badly injured that she was in hospital for over a month. The trial is ongoing and she’s back in school and the rapists are in prison while the legal process drags on. She says she forgives them and doesn’t mind if they are released so long as she can get on with her life. She’s 15 years old.

Abiola is the leader of a neighborhood watch program to keep girls safe in the Iwaya market in Lagos. It’s a tough part of a big city and attacks against girls were common a few years. Abiola says things are changing. ‘Girls know they can come to me and I’ll help them,´she says. ‘But most of all, I get to know the girls and ensure they stay safe by avoiding dangerous places and bad situations.’ Abiola says it’s made a big difference for the girls, knowing there’s someone looking out for them.

Adeola is 13 years old and she lives in the semi industrial outskirts of Abuja. She was raped last year by her neighbor and kept quiet because of the threats she received. The rapist sent for her at school and when she didn’t come he threatened to kill her again. Afraid for her life, she obeyed his calls and raped her six times before her aunt noticed her leaving his house. Her parents confronted her and threatened to beat her if she withheld the truth. When she explained, she says she was badly beaten by her father. They pressed charges and the rapist was arrested. He was promptly released on bail. Even though Adeola and her family moved houses, the rapist lives nearby and came to threaten her mother to drop the case. Her mother refused to settle and is pursuing justice in the courts. She says the whole community is ‘mocking’ her daughter and the new landlord has offered money to sleep with Adeola. Her mother is scared to leave her at home and scared to let her out of the house.