The organisation also criticised law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), for what it described as their failure to respond decisively to the incident.
The Inclusive Forum for Accountable Society (IFAS) has condemned the recent assault on two young women in Calabar, describing the incident as a dangerous act of mob justice and a violation of the victims’ constitutional rights. The organisation called for an immediate investigation and prosecution of all those involved, warning that the trend threatens the rule of law.
In a press statement signed by James Ibor on behalf of IFAS Cross River State, the group alleged that the two women were tracked to their homes, assaulted, filmed and compelled to recant their alleged defamatory online activities before being handed over to law enforcement authorities. IFAS expressed concern that the incident reportedly occurred at the residence of a member of the Cross River State House of Assembly and warned that discussions online suggesting similar actions could encourage copycat attacks.
The group cited Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees the dignity of the human person and freedom from torture. It maintained that while Nigeria has existing laws addressing defamation and cyberstalking, anyone accused of such offences should be subjected to lawful investigation and prosecution rather than extrajudicial punishment.
IFAS specifically accused Mr Cyril James Omini, a member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, of encouraging the unlawful actions by allegedly offering a ₦5 million reward for information leading to the identification of the authors of the alleged defamatory content. According to the organisation, the reward and the subsequent assault on the women amounted to an endorsement of mob justice, which it described as inconsistent with the oath of office sworn by public officials.
The organisation also criticised law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), for what it described as their failure to respond decisively to the incident. It questioned the circumstances under which officers received the two women after the alleged assault, arguing that the actions portrayed in videos circulating online did not appear to comply with legal provisions governing citizen arrests.
IFAS urged security agencies to ensure that due process is followed in handling criminal allegations and to protect the rights of all citizens, including suspects. It warned against allowing society to degenerate into one where influential individuals take the law into their own hands, stressing that justice must be administered through established legal institutions.
