Nigerian rights campaigners on Friday marches across the streets of Abuja to raise awareness about sexual violence in the country following a hike in high-profile rape cases.

The protests come a few days after reports emerged that a 22-year-old student had died two days after she was raped in a church in the southern city of Benin.

More than 200 protesters marched around Abuja to demand justice for Vera Uwaila Omosuwa and other women who were victims of rape in the West African state.

The march was one of a number of activities planned by campaigners to raise awareness of sexual violence and urge politicians to set aside more money to tackle the issue and ensure police independence.

“Children are dying, women are dying, enough is enough,” Reuters quotes Dorothy Njemanze, one of the protest organisers.

Njemanze said she and other campaigners were “watching every step of everything they (politicians) say and do on sexual based violence”.

A Friday statement by the country’s police force said additional investigators were assigned to specialist gender violence desks.

“This is to strengthen and enhance the capacity of the units to respond to increasing challenges of sexual assaults and domestic gender-based violence linked with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and other social ills within the country,” it said.