‘National Disgrace’ — NBA Reacts to Delta Festival Attacks on Women

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has publicly condemned the reported incidents of sexual assault and public humiliation of women that occurred during a recent festival in Ozoro.

The NBA referred to these events as a “national disgrace” and indicative of a “collapse of conscience.”

In a statement released on Saturday, signed by NBA President Afam Osigwe and Huwaila Muhammad, Chairperson of the NBA Women’s Forum, the association emphasized the importance of how a society treats its women as a reflection of its true character.

“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.”

The NBA noted that reports from the festival indicated women were “accosted in broad daylight, forcefully stripped of their clothing, sexually assaulted, and subjected to degrading treatment by groups of young men while others watched, recorded, and, in some instances, cheered.”

The association added, “No woman should ever have to endure such terror, such exposure, such violation of her dignity.”

Describing the event as “not a festival but lawlessness,” the NBA said the acts amounted to “gender-based violence in its most primitive and shameful form” and a “grave violation of the fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, and security as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as well as other international human rights instruments.” The statement further noted that these actions constitute “serious criminal offences under our laws, including assault, sexual violence, and public indecency.”

The NBA strongly condemned the acts, declaring, “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.”

Calling for urgent action, the association urged the Delta State Government and law enforcement agencies to “act swiftly and decisively. 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.”

The NBA warned that “silence, indifference, or excuses in the face of such brutality only embolden further abuse” and appealed to community leaders, traditional institutions, and festival organisers to take immediate responsibility.

“Cultural celebrations must never become theatres of violence. They must reflect dignity, order, and respect for human life, not chaos and cruelty,” the statement said.

Emphasising the moral and legal responsibility to protect women, the NBA stressed, “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 warning, “This must never happen again!”

According to reports, victims were allegedly attacked by youths during the controversial ‘Alue-Do’ festival held on Thursday, March 19. Videos of the incident, which surfaced on social media on Friday, showed young women being chased, stripped, and molested in broad daylight, sparking widespread condemnation.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the arrest of a community leader and several others in connection with the incident. The police added that a full-scale investigation had been launched and warned that all those involved would be brought to justice.