16 Days Of Activism: C4J Call For Arrest Of Perpetrators, After Lady Was Stripped, Paraded Naked Within Emoh -Abua Community

28Th November, 20

The Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women & Children have slammed the traditional institution and leadership of Emoh Community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State over the stripping of a woman naked and parading her around the community in violation of the Rivers State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2020, and the Dehumanizing and Harmful Traditional Practice (Abolition) Law, 2003.

The Response Team said it was not only an inhuman treatment, but is also totally wrong for the Emoh Community leaders to have allowed the women and youths parade a lady by name Queen around the community irrespective of the crime she might have committed.

Coordinator, Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women & Children; Tombari Dumka-Kote, stated this while speaking in reaction to a viral video making the rounds which is suspected to have been made by the perpetrators of violence to further destroy the image of the young lady.

Dumka-Kote, while addressing the meeting of survivors of gender based violence in Port Harcourt, as part of Day 4 activities to mark the ’16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence 2024′, regretted the level of destruction the community have caused the lady and her family, saying the State Response Team is already making relevant contacts, and shall provide psychological and social support to the lady, while pursing the course of justice on her behalf.

‘This for sure shall be the last time this will happen in any part of Rivers State. We are calling on the Local Government Authority, and security agents to join effort with our Team in ensuring that non of the perpetrators escape the full wrath of the law.

Also speaking, a Gender Rights Activist, Tamka Igbara, told newsmen that it was primitive and barbaric for a community in the 21st century to have carried out such an act against her own.

Tamka who noted that her organization, the Centre for Justice, Empowerment & Development (C4J) and partners have led several sensitization campaings around Abua/Odual Communities, called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those involved.

She called on residents and Nigerians to halt further spread of the nude video on social media handles as it violates the nations Data Protection and Cyber Crimes Act.

Findings by the Response Team, as revealed by the whistleblower have it that the lady (Queen) was been punished by the community for harvesting two bunch of plantain from a land on which her family have had a protracted battle with many victories over the legitimate landlord.

The Team was further hinted that arbitration to resolve the dispute over the years have yielded but a little result before this latest incident.

Unverified sources also have it that the lady was denied fair hearing by the community members that were invited by the other party, before she was stripped naked and paraded round the community.

The theme for this year 16 Days of Action is: ‘Towards Benjieng +30: Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls’.

Edison Belaanen
Media/Communication Officer.