Between 2008 and 2011, Nigeria's Abia State witnessed a flourishing of several brutal criminal gangs. Unsurprisingly the victims were predominantly vulnerable ordinary citizens and strangers. As Abia State collapsed into anarchy, the violent perpetrators resorted to increasingly debased tactics to terrorize their victims using rape and forced incest to achieve their objectives.
You're Ordered to Rape Your Own Sister or Be Shot tells the story of Mama-Oma and her three children, David, Nma, and Chidi. Raiders shoot Nma dead and then present Mama-Oma with a terrible choice: command her son to rape his own sister or have her two remaining children killed.
David manages to obey the order to violate Chidi, who is then repeatedly gang-raped by her attackers. For the family, the psychological pain is magnified by a conservative tribal culture that ostracizes them afterwards for committing incest taboo, despite the outrageous coercive circumstances. Although David and Chidi survive the attack, they end up paying the ultimate price afterward through suicide.
Through Mama-Oma's pain, anger, and frustration, author Charles Chinwe Nwosu gives a voice to the countless women worldwide who live in fear while hobbled by the shackles of patriarchal tribal mores.
About the Author: Charles Chinwe Nwosu, PhD holds a doctorate from the University of Paris. A professor of political sociology and civil-military relations, he pursues international research interests that includes peace and conflict resolution, emancipation of docile communities, as well as women's issues. He is an author of Cleaning and Re-Indoctrinating Nigeria to the Root published 2012.
Nwosu is a member of the International Sociological Association and wrote You're Ordered to Rape Your Own Sister or Be Shot to shed light on the horrendous sex crimes and brutal kidnapping for ransom that took place in Nigeria's Abia State (2008-2011). Ultimately he wishes to call attention to the worldwide vulnerability of women who live in patriarchal tribal communities.
