Operatives of Zone 16 of the Nigeria Police have arrested a student of the Federal University, Otuoke (FUO), Bayelsa State, for allegedly assaulting and stripping another girl naked in an incident that sparked outrage on social media.
The suspect, identified simply as Kadi, a student of the Department of Social Works, was captured in a viral video alongside other accomplices physically attacking a young woman identified as Nancy.
The footage, which surfaced on Facebook on Sunday, showed three girls slapping and beating Nancy before stripping her naked and forcibly cutting off her braided hair with a sharp object.
Following the directive of the Commissioner of Police in Zone 16, CP Francis Idu, operatives, working in collaboration with the FUO security unit, apprehended Kadi.
In a phone conversation recorded and later circulated online, Kadi confirmed her arrest, stating that she had been taken first to the school authorities before being transferred to Zone 16 headquarters in Yenagoa.
When asked in the recording whether the assault was linked to her alleged ex-boyfriend known as “Upcoming,” Kadi denied the claims, insisting the attack stemmed from an insult directed at her grandmother.
“Somebody insulted my grandmother, saying she was smelling, and you said I should not beat her?” she was heard saying.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from rights groups. The Association of Women Against Gender-Based Violence (AWAGBV) and the Do Foundation, in a joint statement, described the assault as disturbing and unacceptable.
Dr. Dise Harry, President of AWAGBV, said: “This is not what we expect from young ladies who should be responsible and law-abiding citizens. It is embarrassing that women are at the centre of such a shameful act of violence.”
Harry added that the case raised “critical issues of assault, bodily harm, character assassination, threat to life, and cybercrime,” calling on relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure justice.
The police confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track down other accomplices captured in the video.
