Anti-female genital mutilation advocate, Akinyele escapes assassination in Ondo
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
Adewale Akinyele, a member of the ‘Gender Frontier Development Initiatives’ (GFDI), has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by some hoodlums in Akure, the Ondo state capital.
Akinyele, who disclosed this while speaking with journalists said some yet-to-be-identified masked hoodlums invaded his house at Zone 10c Abusoro, Akure around 9pm over his campaign against female genital mutilation in Ondo state.
Recall that Akinyele, a member of the association had been calling on all the stakeholders in the state to step up campaign on awareness creation and sensitisation of the society to ensure zero tolerance in the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), was attacked in his house sometimes last year, 2022.
According to him, girls who undergo female genital mutilation face-term complications such as severe pains, shock, excessive bleeding, infections and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health, and mental health.
He maintained that FGM comprises all the procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non medical reasons and is recognised internationally as a violation of human rights, the health and integrity of girls and women.
“We, however, urge stakeholders to accelerate steps towards stopping this practice, by adopting coordinate and systematic efforts, promoting polices and positive actions leading to the elimination of female genital mutilation, while engaging communities with focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education and attention to the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences,” he said.
Surprisingly, according to him, it seems his campaign against the female genital mutilation in the state was not well with some people which led to these yet-to-be-identified masked hoodlums invaded his house in order to make an attempt to assassinate him.
According to him, despite the attack and an attempt to assassinate him, the group (GFDI) would continue to frown at the female genital mutilation in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
He said, “We would continue to collaborate with the stakeholders to ensure total eradication of this female genital mutilation in our state and by extension throughout the country.”
Akinyele, however, described the attack on him by the hoodlums as an act of cowardice, insisting that the practice, female genital mutilation was not only archaic, but also violated the rights of female children and urged people to desist from such.
He, therefore, called the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, through the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Asabi, and other security agencies in the state to help beat back the attacks against him and the group in the cause of discharging their social responsibility.
