NBA Demands Justice for Delta Festival Attacks on Women

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) issued a statement on Saturday condemning the sexual assaults and public humiliation of women during a recent festival in Delta State, describing the incidents as a national disgrace and a collapse of societal conscience. The statement, signed by the NBA President and the Chairperson of the NBA Women’s Forum, highlighted the brutal treatment of women, including being chased, stripped, and sexually assaulted in broad daylight by groups of young men.

The NBA emphasized that such acts amount to gender-based violence and are grave violations of fundamental human rights. They called for urgent action from law enforcement agencies to identify, arrest, and prosecute the perpetrators, stressing that no cultural practices can justify such cruelty.

The statement also warned that silence and indifference would embolden further abuses and appealed to community leaders and festival organizers to ensure the protection of women's dignity. The incidents occurred during the controversial Alu festival on March 19, with videos of the assaults surfacing on social media, prompting widespread condemnation.