Rights groups protest police attack on female lawyer, others

Human rights organisations have condemned the attack on a female rights activist in Enugu, Goodness Ibanga and her colleagues from the Women Aid Collective’s (WACOL) in Enugu State by the police over a rape case. Some members of the Police Area Command in Enugu were on January 30 alleged to have brutally assaulted Ibanga when […]

Human rights organisations have condemned the attack on a female rights activist in Enugu, Goodness Ibanga and her colleagues from the Women Aid Collective’s (WACOL) in Enugu State by the police over a rape case.

Some members of the Police Area Command in Enugu were on January 30 alleged to have brutally assaulted Ibanga when she went to register a rape case. Her colleagues also alleged to have been assaulted are Miss. Nneka Okwor and Ezeani.

In their separate statements, the ActionAid Nigeria and the Avocats Sans Frontières France, also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, have described the attack as an attack on all women in the country.

“We do not consider this as an attack on One Woman, rather, it is an attack on all Nigerian Women; it is an attack on Survivors of Physical and Sexual Violence; it is an attack on Women working to protect Women; it is an attack on Women’s Rights; it is an attack on the Law Profession; it is an attack on Justice, and there must be consequences,” said ActionAid’s Country Director, Ene Obi.

Also, Head of Office of ASF France, Angela Uwandu said the brutalization of a lawyer for performing her professional duties is unacceptable and must not be tolerated.

“The erring officers who intimidated and brutalized WACOL staff should be fished out and brought to book to serve as deterrent,” she said.