By Eteteonline
On Monday, February 16, a video emerged of a young woman named Abigail Nsuka, sometimes known as Mirabel, who claimed to have been raped in her residence early on Sunday morning.
The brief video of Mirabel sobbing and recounting her experience went viral on social media, sparking outrage and calls for justice. Over seven million people are said to have viewed the video.
She claimed to have been raped by an intruder at around nine in the morning, providing explicit descriptions of the horrific crime. She said the invader tied her up and put a piece of cloth in her mouth. In the internet video, the well-known 18-year-old TikToker claimed that she had been raped, cut with a razor, and given a poisoned drink.
In another video that was uploaded to her TikTok profile, Mirabel described how her friends had come to her aid and transported her to the hospital. She claimed that a man she identified as Priston later sent her a message of request and purportedly admitted to the attack.
Mirabel apparently shared her account data with supporters and made a significant amount of money. According to sources, the sympathizers began depositing different amounts of money into her bank account, which may have totaled N5 million.
But a few days later, Mirabel changed her mind, denying that she had been raped and acknowledging that it was all a lie. People have criticized her actions for turning the fictitious rape alert into a money-making venture and some have reportedly demanded a refund.
But what would have driven an 18-year-old young lady to make such a deliberate, false, outrageous, and wild claim?
Mirabel’s fabrication that she was raped by an unidentified attacker in order to raise money is a glaring illustration of moral degeneration and deteriorating societal values.
The deterioration in society has affected the values and moral character of Nigerian youths. Nowadays, the vast majority of young people are involved in anti-social activities such as cultism, gangsterism, thuggery, and militancy. Many of them, referred to as Yahoo Boys, engage in cyber fraud, stealing money from people and businesses via computer gadgets.
Many people, including Mirabel, may see scamming as a normal way life and way out of poverty through imbibing various societal ills like kidnapping, ritual killing, armed robbery, hired assassinations, prostitution, and fraud, which are driven by a breakdown of value system and get-rich-quick syndrome.
The main causes of moral decay have been determined to be the loss of parental authority and household values, the impact of science and technology, media influences, particularly social media, materialism, poverty, and the breakdown of discipline in educational institutions.
The epidemic of moral degeneration among Nigerian youths has gotten out of control. A 19-year-old student named Miss Mmesoma Ejike claimed on social media in 2023 that she received the best score of 362 out of 400 in the JAMB-conducted UTME.
She instantly rose to fame and became a role model for accomplishing this. Her outstanding performance sparked a flurry of celebrations. She received scholarships from a few corporate organizations.
However, Miss Ejike’s score of 362 was rejected by JAMB, which stated that her score was 249 and that the result she displayed was fraudulent. She retaliated by posting popular social media videos to boost her arguments and innocence.
She eventually admitted to falsifying the JAMB UTME result after much debate. Mmesoma brought shame to her father, her school, the government of Anambra State, and the millions of Nigerians who supported her.
At the age of 18, Mirabel ought to be concentrating on furthering her education, finding employment, and starting a family rather than utilizing social media to swindle people. Instead, she is considering how much money she can earn by any means possible via her TikTok profile.
Mirabel has been successful in trivializing the threat of rape in Nigeria and making fun of the actual victims by portraying herself as a victim of rape when she was never raped.
Rape is a heinous crime in Nigeria and anywhere else in the world. Victims or survivors hardly report or speak up because of stigma. It was considered daring of Mirabel to come out and talk about her attack in public. The fact that she was preying on the public for financial gain is an act of infamy and a mockery of actual victims of rape.
To stop moral decay and restore Nigerian society’s ideals, everyone must put forth a lot of effort.
When it comes to teaching young people the principles of integrity, self-control, and love, the family should take the lead.
Moral education ought to be reinstated as a required subject in the educational system.
The government, civil society organizations, and religious leaders should take on the issues of restoring our nations’ moral foundation.
Regardless of the police investigation’s conclusion, Mirabel needs to start psychological counseling and therapy right away.
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