The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned alleged incidents of sexual assault and public harassment of women during a recent festival in Ozoro, Delta State, describing the reports as a “national disgrace” and a serious violation of human rights.
In a statement issued by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), alongside the Chairperson of the NBA Women’s Forum, Huwaila Muhammad, the association expressed outrage over accounts that women were attacked and subjected to degrading treatment in public during the celebration.
According to the NBA, the reported incidents involved women being accosted in broad daylight by groups of young men, who allegedly harassed and assaulted them while others watched, recorded, and, in some instances, cheered.
The association described these acts as “barbaric” and a reflection of a disturbing breakdown in societal values, stressing that such behaviour cannot be justified under the guise of cultural celebration.
“This was lawlessness. This was gender-based violence in its most primitive and shameful form,” the statement said, adding that no tradition, no custom, no so-called cultural practice can legitimise the degradation and violation of women.
The NBA further noted that the acts constitute a grave violation of the fundamental rights to the dignity of the human person, personal liberty, and security, as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and other international human rights instruments.
The association urged the Delta State Government and relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate the incidents thoroughly, identify those responsible, and ensure they are brought to justice.
“The perpetrators must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted. Those who aided or failed to intervene must also be held accountable. Justice must not be delayed, and it must not be selective,” the statement added.
The NBA also warned that silence or inaction in the face of such incidents could encourage further abuses, urging authorities to act decisively.
(The Nation)
