- The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has officially condemned the mass sexual assault and public stripping of women in Ozoro, Delta State, labeling the events a “collapse of conscience” and a “national disgrace.”
- NBA President Afam Osigwe and the Women’s Forum have rejected any cultural justifications for the violence, stating that “barbarity under the guise of celebration” is pure criminality.
- The Delta State Government has denied the existence of any “raping festival” in the state, vowing that all individuals captured in viral footage molesting women will face the full weight of the law.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has joined the rising chorus of outrage following the viral reports of a “raping festival” in Ozoro, the headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in a scathing statement released on Saturday, March 21, 2026, the legal body described the daylight attacks, where women were chased, stripped, and violated, as a stain on Nigeria’s shared humanity.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Ogun Begins Crackdown on Illegal Parks at Sango Border Over Rising Accidents
- Police Nab 30-Year-Old ‘Super M’ During Stop-and-Search in Lagos
- LASG Launches Investigation Into Cosmetic Surgery Death
NBA President Afam Osigwe and Huwaila Muhammad, Chairperson of the NBA Women’s Forum, emphasized that the acts constitute grave breaches of the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations.
“No tradition, no custom, no so-called cultural practice can excuse or legitimise the degradation and violation of women,” the statement read.
The association further noted that the spectators who recorded and cheered the assaults are just as complicit as the primary perpetrators.
Responding to the backlash, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Delta State Governor, Mr. Ossai Ovie Success, clarified that there is no recognized tradition in Delta State that permits such violence.
He expressed shock at the footage and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to justice. Security agencies have since been directed to increase patrols in the Ozoro Kingdom to prevent further lawlessness and protect female residents and students of the nearby university.
The NBA has called on the Delta State Government to ensure that justice is neither delayed nor selective.
The association warned that the failure to prosecute every individual involved, including those who enabled the attacks, would embolden gender-based violence across the country.
Law enforcement has already launched a manhunt for the youths seen in the videos, while community leaders are being urged to take responsibility for the conduct of their constituents during festivals.
