HCRC Condemns In Strong Terms The Sexual Violence At Ozoro Festival

 


PRESS RELEASE

HUMAN AND COMMUNITY RIGHTS CENTRE (HCRC)

March 22, 2026

HCRC CONDEMNS IN STRONG TERMS THE SEXUAL VIOLENCE AT OZORO FESTIVAL


The Human and Community Rights Centre (HCRC) expresses its deepest outrage and unequivocal condemnation of the disturbing acts of sexual violence reportedly perpetrated against women during a recent festival in Ozoro, Delta State.

No society that claims to uphold justice, dignity, and humanity can tolerate the brutalization, humiliation, and violation of women under any guise whatsoever. The reported incidents—where women were allegedly harassed, stripped, assaulted, and dehumanized in public—represent a grave assault not only on the victims but on the collective conscience of our nation.

Let it be made unequivocally clear: there is no cultural, traditional, or social justification for sexual violence. Any practice or gathering that enables or excuses such acts is not culture—it is criminality in its most reprehensible form.

These acts constitute serious violations of fundamental human rights, including the right to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, and security, as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and relevant international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party.

HCRC calls on the Delta State Government, law enforcement agencies, and all relevant authorities to act swiftly and decisively. The perpetrators must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Furthermore, individuals who aided, enabled, or failed to intervene in the face of these atrocities must also be held accountable.

We also call on traditional rulers, community leaders, and festival organizers to take urgent steps to ensure that cultural events do not become platforms for violence and abuse. Cultural heritage must reflect respect for human dignity, not its destruction.

The protection of women is not optional—it is both a legal obligation and a moral imperative. Silence, indifference, or attempts to justify such acts only embolden perpetrators and deepen injustice.

HCRC stands in solidarity with the victims and reiterates its commitment to advocating for justice, accountability, and the protection of human rights for all.

This must never happen again.

Signed:

Human and Community Rights Centre (HCRC)

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