VIDI condemns sexual assault of women at Ozoro Festival as ‘national disgrace’
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Vivacious Development Initiative (VIDI), a non-governmental organisation focused on development and gender rights, has described the wave of sexual violence against women during Ozoro Festival, in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, as a national disgrace.
In a statement signed by Onyinyechi Joy Nwosu, Executive Director of VIDI, the group said it was particularly traumatic that the assaults occurred on the heels of International Women’s Day, when women were being celebrated globally for their accomplishments.
She said: “At a time when the nation and the global community were celebrating the achievements and rights of women, women in Ozoro were being harassed, violated, and dehumanized in public spaces.”
VIDI firmly rejects any attempt to frame these acts as cultural or communal practices. “No tradition should permit the violation of women’s bodies. Such narratives only serve to normalise violence and shield perpetrators from accountability,” says VIDI.
The group highlighted the broader impact, noting that children exposed to such scenes suffer lasting trauma, fear, and insecurity, which undermines healthy development and perpetuates harmful social norms. “A society that fails to protect women ultimately endangers its next generation,” VIDI warned.
It added: “Nigeria’s legal framework is unequivocal. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act, 2015), the Criminal Code Act, and the Child Rights Act all criminalise sexual violence, assault, harassment, and abuse.”
While acknowledging initial arrests by the Delta State Police, including a community leader and several suspects, VIDI stressed that justice must be “comprehensive, transparent, and far-reaching.”
It said every perpetrator, enabler, or anyone who failed to intervene must face full accountability.
VIDI urged the Delta State Government, law enforcement, and community leaders to act decisively: strengthen enforcement, conduct community sensitization programs, and establish robust protection mechanisms for women and girls in public and private spaces.
Crucially, the group asserted that women should not be forced to remain indoors for safety. “The responsibility lies with perpetrators and with systems that fail to enforce the law,” it stated.
