The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned in the strongest terms the alleged sexual assaults on women during a recent festival in Ozoro, describing the incident as a national disgrace and a violation of fundamental human rights.
In a statement signed by NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, and Chairperson of the NBA Women Forum, Huwaila Muhammad, the association described reports of women being chased, stripped, groped, and publicly humiliated as “horrifying” and “barbaric.”
The NBA emphasized that such acts, carried out under the guise of cultural celebration, amount to criminal offenses including assault, sexual violence, and public indecency. They also violate the constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, and security of the human person, as well as international human rights standards.
“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,” the NBA statement said.
The association called on the Delta State Government and all relevant law enforcement agencies to act swiftly, identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the perpetrators. It also urged accountability for anyone who aided, enabled, or failed to intervene during the attacks.
Community leaders, traditional institutions, and festival organisers were warned to ensure that cultural events reflect dignity, order, and respect for human life, rather than chaos and cruelty.
“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. This must never happen again,” the NBA concluded.
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