The Nigerian Bar Association condemned the alleged sexual assault and public humiliation of women during a festival in Ozoro, Delta State. As reported by ALO360, the association described the incident as a national disgrace and demanded immediate action against those responsible.The IncidentYoung men assaulted several women during the Alue-Do festival on Thursday, March 19.
The attackers accosted the women in broad daylight, stripped them of their clothing, and subjected them to various forms of molestation. Viral videos circulated on social media on Friday showing the assaults. The footage captured men groping the victims while others watched, recorded, and cheered.
The Condemnation
Afam Osigwe, president of the Nigerian Bar Association, and Huwaila Muhammad, chairperson of the NBA Women Forum, issued a joint statement on Saturday. The association described the episode as a collapse of conscience and a stain on shared humanity.
The statement read: “A society reveals its true character in how it treats its women. Where women are chased, stripped, groped, violated, and publicly humiliated by mobs under the guise of celebration, what is on display is not culture. It is barbarity. It is a collapse of conscience. It is a stain on our shared humanity.”
Legal Position
The NBA stressed that the acts constituted serious criminal offences. The association noted that the incidents violated fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. These rights include the dignity of the human person, personal liberty, and security.The statement further declared: “This was not a festival. This was lawlessness. This was gender-based violence in its most primitive and shameful form.”
The association rejected cultural justifications for the violence. It stated: “No tradition, no custom, no so-called cultural practice can excuse or legitimise the degradation and violation of women. Any practice that permits such cruelty is not culture. It is criminality.”
Calls for Action
The NBA urged the Delta State Government and law enforcement agencies to act swiftly and decisively. The association demanded that authorities identify, arrest, and prosecute the perpetrators. It also insisted that those who aided, enabled, or failed to intervene must face accountability.
The statement emphasized: “The perpetrators must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted. Those who aided, enabled, or failed to intervene must also be held accountable. Justice must not be delayed, and it must not be selective.”
Furthermore, the association warned that silence or indifference would embolden further abuse.
Broader Implications
The NBA called on community leaders, traditional institutions, and festival organizers to assume urgent responsibility. The association insisted that cultural celebrations must never become theatres of violence.
The statement noted: “Cultural celebrations must never become theatres of violence. They must reflect dignity, order, and respect for human life, not chaos and cruelty.”
The association reinforced its stance on women’s protection. It declared: “The protection of women is not optional. It is a legal duty. It is a moral obligation. It is a test of who we are as a people. Nigeria must not become a place where women live in fear of being stripped of both their clothing and their dignity in public spaces.”
The statement concluded with a firm declaration: “This must never happen again!”
