ADVOCATES CALL OUT IMPUNITY IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES DURING SIT-IN AT NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION CENTRE

ADVOCATES CALL OUT IMPUNITY IN SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES DURING SIT-IN AT NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION CENTRE












By Jennifer Nwosu 

Dozens of activists, survivors’ families, and legal advocates gathered at the Nigerian Bar Association Centre in Ikeja for a sit-in protest on Tuesday 25th November 2025, using the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence to spotlight long-standing failures in Nigeria’s response to sexual assault cases.

The protest, led by the Tonia Bruised but Not Broken Foundation and Stop the Abuse Foundation, drew people from across Lagos and beyond. Participants held placards, shared testimonies and remembered victims whose names have become emblematic of a national struggle for justice. Among them were Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbanje, Iniobong Umoren, Barakat Bello, Bamise, Uwaila Vera, Karen- Happuch Akpagher and others whose stories sparked widespread outrage but remain unresolved.

Anthonia Ojenagbon, who runs the Tonia Bruised but Not Broken Foundation, said the protest was not only about remembrance but also about accountability. She accused the system of enabling perpetrators, particularly those with social influence,to evade punishment. She decried where survivors are blamed, shamed or silenced meanwhile, some convicted offenders find their way back into society without consequence.

Toyin Ndidi Ojo, coordinator of Stop the Abuse Foundation and an executive member of the African Women Lawyers Association, echoed these concerns. She called for stronger legal structures and urged the federal government to replicate Lagos State’s sexual-offences courts nationwide.

She called for protection to extend to all; women, men, children and vulnerable groups. Ojo reiterated that the laws exist, but the non- implementation is where there is a systemic failure.

A filmmaker and board member of the Mirabel Centre, Nigeria’s pioneering sexual-assault referral facility, Ego Boyo , joined the protest to emphasize the role of awareness and public education in achieving justice.

One mother shared her family’s experience of a seven year legal battle before her daughter’s abuser received a life sentence. She urged Nigerian parents to pay close attention to sudden behavioral changes in children, especially discomfort around trusted adults.

Dr. Lemmy Ughegbe of the Men Against Rape Foundation,Abuja, described the ongoing intimidation faced by families pursuing justice for victims like Karen- Happuch Akpagher, a 14 year old girl, who died of of sodomy and sexual violence in 2021.
He said activists have faced harassment and physical attacks while demanding accountability.

For organizers, the sit-in was designed to send a message. They demand for meaningful reforms that require more than annual observances. It demands political will, stronger institutions, and genuine empathy for victims. As the 16-day global campaign continues, they hope their voices will push Nigerian authorities toward tangible, measurable action.

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