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We all know the story of Safiyat Huseini (Tungar-Tudu), the thirty year old woman in Sokoto, Northern Nigeria, sentenced to death by stoning for committing "adultery."

What no one seems to know, however, is who the male "adulterer" is. It takes two to tango, right? Obviously not in Safiyat's case. Her gender/sex makes her sin obvious ( she carries the pregnancy) while the still flat stomached man walks around free, probably waiting to cast the first stone. Safiyat has become the poster child for all women oppressed in a system by virtue of their gender.

On the other hand, there are many victims of gendered justice who dare not break their silences. In many of our universities, girls are raped with flagrant impunity on a daily basis but nobody hears of it. The rapist is often considered a stud , the victim a slut. The girls are pariahed , while the males go on to have fulfilling relationships.

In my first year of college, a "friend" I thought I knew fairly well attempted to rape me. Fortunately for me, I escaped without being raped , but, he managed to slap me a few times in his bid to get me to acquiesce. That escape, I still consider a miracle. I never reported that incident because I did not expect to get any sympathy. However, I lived with male-paranoia for a very long time. I would not get into a car driven by a male, on my own. I would not visit any of my male friends and when I did, it was in company of other friends and I always sat by the door. I saw every other male as a potential rapist and read meanings into well-meant compliments. I have often wondered how much worse it would have been had I been raped. Raped, but, unable to seek justice. Raped, but, unable to get justice.

Hopefully, the international attention Safiyat's case has garnered will ensure that in this case, the victim does not become the criminal. Hopefully, it will act as a catalyst to de-gender justice , not only in her part of the world, but everywhere else necessary. Hopefully, it will sensitize society to the fact that everybody, regardless of sex, deserves justice. If Safiyat must be punished , her partner in crime must be too.

Ina related case, on Wednesday morning of January 23, 2002, an Islamic court in the northern Nigerian state of Sokoto acquitted 18-year-old, Hafsatu Abubakar after being accused of having sex outside marriage, in the second such case since the introduction of full Islamic law. Hafsatu at the 18 is already divorced. She was accused by neighbors after she gave birth to a child several weeks ago. Sadly, she was held in prison with her little baby. The case was dismissed by the judge due to discrepancies in the evidence against Hafsatu.

Meanhwile, Safiyatu is awaiting for her appeal against the death sentence. In my view, if she is to be stoned to death, as the Sharia laws Mullahs/Imams are reported to dictate, so should the man who had sex with her. While we are at it, all the other criminals who (have) run Nigeria to the ground should have their hands cut, as the Sharia law says.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone on poor Safiyat.
Unigwe, an alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; KU Leuven and UC Louvain in Belgium, has recently joined USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica The Newspaper as Canada-based contributing editor and columnist. She is the author of 'Teardrops', a collection of poems, and her short story, 'Touched by an Angel', was broadcast on the BBC World Service. This exclusive column for USAfricaonline.com, is copyrighted and archiving on any other web site or newspaper is unauthorized except with a written approval by USAfricaonline.com Founder january 24, 2002.

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