Nigerian Man Allegedly Jailed in Togo for Slut-Shaming Incident
A Nigerian man is reportedly serving a jail term in Togo after allegedly calling a woman a 'prostitute' during a heated argument. The incident was shared on X by a user named John, who identified the man as his neighbor. According to John, the neighbor had been missing since traveling to Togo for a holiday.
John explained that an argument broke out between his neighbor and a woman at a hotel. During the dispute, the man, described by John as a misogynist, resorted to slut-shaming, calling her 'Ashawo'—a Nigerian Pidgin term for prostitute. John claims that in Togo, calling a woman a prostitute is a criminal offense if the accuser cannot substantiate the claim.
Legal Consequences in Togo
John wrote: 'We just found out my neighbor who we thought has been missing since he told us he’s traveling for holiday to Togo is in jail for calling a woman Ashewo. Apparently while on vacation at the hotel he was staying, an argument broke out between him and a lady and like how most Nigerian men call women “Ashewo” when they’ve no meaningful thing to say to her, this my neighbor called the lady “Ashewo” and the authority was called on him.'
He further stated: 'Calling a woman Ashewo is a criminal offense in TOGO if you can’t prove it that she’s an Ashewo and they treat all punishments the same in Togo and he was thrown into jail.' John added that the man was supposed to have resumed work but is now serving a jail term, concluding, 'That serves him right anyways.'
Cultural and Legal Differences
The case highlights the stark legal differences between Nigeria and Togo regarding defamatory language. In Togo, such insults can lead to imprisonment, whereas in Nigeria, similar remarks may not carry the same legal weight. The incident has sparked discussions online about respect and the consequences of derogatory language.
