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A Port Harcourt-based human rights activist, Prince Wiro, has condemned the alleged rape and public humiliation of a female suspect arrested over her alleged involvement in a “one chance” robbery syndicate along the Rumuosi–Rumuekini axis of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Wiro also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the men seen in a viral video allegedly sexually assaulting the suspect before the arrival of police officers.
In a one-minute, 27-second video, several men were seen inserting their fingers into the woman’s private parts while she was stripped naked and forced to spread her legs in public.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over mob justice and sexual violence.
Speaking on the incident, Wiro said the actions captured in the trending video amounted to rape under the provisions of the Rivers State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law.
He said there is absolutely no justification for such actions, and there is no nexus between the alleged crime committed by the female suspect and the sexual assault inflicted on her.
Wiro said: “Nobody should hide under the guise of punishing criminal suspects to commit sexual assault.”
Wiro, the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, stated that while he understood the gravity of the allegations against the suspect and the devastating impact of “one chance” robberies, which have left many victims dispossessed of their property and, in some cases, their lives, the actions of the mob were contrary to the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Rivers State.
“The actions of the men captured in the video clearly portray them as sexual predators who deserve to be behind bars,” he added.
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Wiro further observed that the incident reflected gender-based discrimination, noting that while the female suspect was stripped naked and allegedly raped, the male suspects arrested alongside her were not subjected to similar treatment.
He urged the Rivers State Police Command to identify, arrest, and prosecute every individual captured in the viral video, stressing that every suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
According to him, the identification and arrest of the suspects had become necessary to prevent people from hiding under the guise of punishing criminal suspects to attack, maim, or sexually assault perceived enemies.
The rights activist also condemned the growing trend of members of the public torturing suspected thieves, forcing them to dance, recording videos of their humiliation, and circulating such videos on social media.
He urged the police to arrest and prosecute anyone found engaging in such acts.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command had earlier warned residents against mob action and jungle justice.
The Command’s spokesperson, Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), issued the warning in June while condemning the mob attack on a woman, Maria Kobara, who was falsely accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old child on Owo Street, Mile 3, Diobu, Port Harcourt.
Kaborlo urged residents to report suspected criminal incidents to the police rather than resorting to extrajudicial actions.
She warned that mob action and jungle justice would not be tolerated under any guise, adding that any individual or group involved in such unlawful acts would face the full weight of the law.
