Wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu; former Minister of Education, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have strongly condemned the assaults on women and girls during the Alue-Do Festival in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Council Area of Delta State, describing the incident as “barbaric” and a gross violation of human dignity.

In a statement issued yesterday, the First Lady said she was deeply disturbed by viral videos showing young girls subjected to physical and sexual abuse during what should have been a cultural celebration.

“I watched the horrific footage emerging from Ozoro, where girls were physically and sexually assaulted and subjected to degrading and inhumane treatment during a community festival,” she said.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity, Tinubu stressed that no tradition or custom should be used as a pretext to abuse or violate the rights of women and girls.

Founder of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, Ezekwesili, called on law enforcement authorities to urgently arrest and prosecute all those identified in the incident.

In a statement issued at the weekend, Ezekwesili warned that failure to act decisively could entrench a dangerous culture of impunity, stressing that Nigerians must respond firmly to prevent a recurrence in other parts of the country.

The former minister insisted that the situation requires more than routine arrests. She called for a transparent accountability process led by the Delta State Government, backed by swift judicial action as a deterrent, and for stronger community intelligence and policing systems nationwide.

In the same vein, the NBA described the incident as a national disgrace and a violation of fundamental human rights.

In a statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, and Chairperson of the NBA Women Forum, Huwaila Muhammad, the association described reports of women being chased, stripped, groped, and publicly humiliated as “horrifying” and “barbaric.”

The NBA emphasised that such acts, carried out under the guise of cultural celebration, amounted to criminal offences, including assault, sexual violence, and public indecency. They also violated the constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, and security of the human person, as well as international human rights standards.

“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 a culture. It is criminality,” the NBA statement said.

The association called on the Delta State Government and all relevant law enforcement agencies to act swiftly to identify, arrest, and prosecute the perpetrators.

It also urged accountability for anyone who aided, enabled, or failed to intervene during the attacks.

Community leaders, traditional institutions, and festival organisers were warned to ensure that cultural events reflect dignity, order, and respect for human life, rather than chaos and cruelty.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, yesterday led a team of senior officers on a fact-finding and confidence-building visit to Ozoro as investigations into the alleged incident continue.

The police chief, accompanied by top management staff of the command, paid a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of Ozoro Kingdom, HRH Anthony Uvietobore Ogbogbo, during which he briefed the monarch on the progress of the investigation and reaffirmed the command’s zero-tolerance stance on sexual and gender-based violence.

Adesola also engaged key stakeholders, including the Chairman of Isoko North Local Council Area, Godwin Ogorugba; the President-General of Ozoro Community, Berkley Asiafa; the South-South Zonal Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Victor Ogechukwu, and the Students’ Union Government President of Southern Delta University, Oribelua Precious, among others. He also interacted with some of the victims.