Dorothy Njemnaze’s name and story is one that many Nigerians may not be aware of, but her landmark case against Nigeria at ECOWAS is one that has made the news on several occasions.

Dorothy and 3 other women were sexually, physically and verbally assaulted, abducted and unlawfully detained between January 2011 and March 2013 by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), FCT Joint task force and other government agencies in the infamous #AbujaRaid on night clubs and streets across Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital.

In 2017, an ECOWAS court passed a landmark judgement in favour of Dorothy Njemnaze against the Nigerian state. The court imposed an ₦18 million fine in damages to be paid to her and 2 other women over sexual violations meted out to them at several and different times.

In part 1 of this exclusive interview, Tolulope Adeleru-Blaogun sits with Dorothy Njemanze who shares her emotional, yet, victorious and inspiring backstory of how she went from being sexually violated to getting justice.

DISCLAIMER: Some scenes recounting Dorothy’s experience have been reconstructed to illustrate the actual events. These scenes should not be mistaken for the actual occurrence.

Reconstructed Video Source: Silent Tears (2016)