NBA condemns assaults on Women at Ozoro festival
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has issued a scathing condemnation of the reported mass sexual assault and public humiliation of women during the recent Ozoro cultural festival, describing the events as a national disgrace and a collapse of conscience.
Reports emerging from the community describe a harrowing atmosphere where women were allegedly hunted, stripped of their clothing, and subjected to sexual violence in broad daylight.
The NBA highlighted that these acts were perpetrated by groups of young men while onlookers recorded the abuse on mobile phones, with some reportedly cheering as victims were violated.
In a joint statement, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and the Chairperson of the NBA Women Forum, Huwaila Muhammad, asserted that the events were not a reflection of culture but a manifestation of primitive and shameful gender-based violence.
The legal body emphasized that no traditional practice can serve as a legitimate excuse for the degradation of human dignity.
The formal condemnation follows a massive wave of indignation on social media. Throughout yesterday, the platform X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with disturbing video clips from the festival, triggering a viral outcry under various hashtags demanding justice for the victims.
The NBA has categorized these acts as grave violations of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), specifically regarding the rights to personal liberty and the dignity of the human person.
The association noted that the perpetrators are liable for criminal offenses including sexual violence and assault, public indecency, conspiracy and harassment.
Directing its focus toward the Delta State Government and law enforcement agencies, the NBA demanded the immediate identification, arrest, and prosecution of all involved parties including those who aided the perpetrators by recording or failing to intervene.
The statement further urged traditional institutions and community leaders in Ozoro to take responsibility for the conduct of their youth, warning that cultural celebrations must never be allowed to devolve into theatres of violence.
The NBA concluded with a stern reminder that the protection of women is not an optional social gesture but a fundamental legal duty, stating that Nigeria must not become a place where women live in fear of being stripped of their dignity in public spaces.