The Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to help locate a TikTok user who recently shared that she was raped in her apartment by a stranger.
In response to overwhelming anxiety, the agency posted this appeal on its official social media pages on Tuesday, saying that it was actively working to get in touch with the survivor.
The hashtag #StopRapingWomen has taken over X in the wake of the viral video, with thousands of users demanding immediate action against sexual assault and increased safety for survivors.
On Monday, the survivor, Mirabel (@mirab351 on TikTok), shared a video of the assault that took place on Sunday, February 15.
She described having sleeplessness, drinking to fall asleep at six in the morning, and then hearing knocking at nine.
“I thought it was my neighbor… immediately I opened the door, I got pushed back, I hit my head on the fridge, and I passed out,” she said.
Regaining consciousness, “There is a man over me, there is cloth stuffed in my mouth, I was just there mumbling… it is Sunday, most people had gone to church… Later, he left. I was bleeding… He used a face blade to cut me.”
She initially mistook the bleeding for her period but received a message request from the suspect identified as “Priston,” who confessed:
“I’m sure you don’t know me because you decided to close ur eyes even after waking up… we have met twice, and you kept ignoring me… I had to pay boys to stop the empty bike… You complimented the way I speak, and you said I smell nice, but you still refuse to give me ur number.”
He graphically described the attack on her body, using fingers and a blade to “I use the face blade cut you to simulate me being the first person there,” and warned:
“My father has the money to bury the case right before it gets to court… You can’t find me, and you don’t even have the money… You gats dey knack often make man dey pound you cause why you go get baby punani… in the nearest future, maybe 4 to 5 years, we would meet again and we would date… I love you; don’t see me as a bad person, okay? You turned me down twice.”
Mirabel, who was crying in her most recent video on Tuesday, admitted to drinking Sniper poison and trying to end her life. She credited a friend for getting her to the hospital quickly.
“I am too tired; I can’t respond to the message. I will respond when I get better, thank you,” she stated.
The Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) stated that it had “taken note of the multiple tags and public concerns regarding a video currently circulating on social media,” in which a young woman shared her alleged experience of sexual assault.
The agency stressed that its team was “actively making efforts to reach the survivor to offer immediate support and appropriate intervention and ascertain her location.”
The Lagos State Government’s commitment to protecting survivors was reaffirmed by DSVA, which said, “Sexual assault is a crime, and every survivor deserves protection, care, support, and justice. Reports are treated with utmost confidentiality and urgency.”
The agency offered a number of contact channels for those looking for assistance or wishing to report cases, including phone numbers 0813-796-0048 and 0-8000-333-333, USSD *6820# (MTN), WhatsApp 0812-893-7058, and its official website at https://ekoselfreport.ng.
