Widespread outrage has trailed the alleged sexual assault of several women during the controversial Alue-Do festival in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, with the police arresting a community leader and four others over the incident.
Viral videos from the Thursday festival showed young women being chased, stripped and molested by groups of youths in broad daylight, sparking condemnation across the country.
In one of the clips, a lady was dragged off a motorcycle and assaulted, while others showed victims struggling to cover themselves as attackers tore their clothes amid cheers from onlookers.
Although the exact number of victims could not be independently verified, residents and student leaders confirmed that several women, including students of Southern Delta University, were affected, with some receiving medical attention.
A female resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said prior warnings were issued restricting women’s movement during the festival.
“The organisers announced that no woman should go out when the ritual started. Many of us locked ourselves indoors out of fear,” she said.
Social media users also recounted similar experiences, with some claiming they remained indoors to avoid harassment as businesses shut down and non-indigenes fled the community.
The Ovie of Ozoro Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Anthony Ogbogbo, expressed shock over the development, saying such acts had never been associated with festivals in the community.
“I have been a king for over 20 years. I have never heard that a festival is celebrated with girls being harassed or sexually molested in my community,” he said.
The Students’ Union Government President of Southern Delta University, Oribelua Precious, confirmed that some victims were students, adding that although no case of rape had been medically confirmed, the assaults were severe and unacceptable.
“An attempt to rape is a serious matter. We are only speaking based on what we saw on video.
This raises concerns about what may have happened in areas without cameras,” he said.
Reacting, the Delta State Government described the incident as “barbaric, heinous and unacceptable,” warning that no cultural celebration should serve as a cover for criminal acts.
The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the state had a zero-tolerance policy for gender-based violence and directed security agencies to ensure all perpetrators were identified and prosecuted.
Similarly, the police confirmed the arrest of Chief Omorede Sunday and four others believed to be organisers of the festival.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, said the suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further probe.
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale investigation. No custom or tradition is superior to the rights of citizens,” he said, urging victims and witnesses to come forward.
Also reacting, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, ordered a thorough and accelerated investigation, stressing that sexual assault remains a serious criminal offence.
Meanwhile, the leadership of Ozoro Kingdom has denied reports that rape occurred during the festival, insisting that the incident involved harassment by some youths who “misapplied” cultural practices.
In a statement jointly signed by the President-General, Berkley Asiafa, and Secretary-General, Obaro Egware, the community described reports of rape as “false and misleading.”
The leaders explained that the Alue-Do festival, held in Uruamudhu community, is an age-long fertility rite involving symbolic practices believed to invoke childbirth.
They, however, admitted that some youths deviated from the tradition.
“The situation involved the harassment of two young women by individuals who took advantage of the occasion to act irresponsibly. No incidents of rape were recorded,” the statement said.
They condemned the misconduct and pledged to work with security agencies to ensure justice.
The incident has also drawn condemnation from civil society groups and legal experts, who insisted that no cultural practice could justify violations of fundamental human rights.
A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, described the development as a failure of governance and preventive policing, warning that a society that restricts women instead of restraining perpetrators risks moral collapse.
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, also condemned the act, stressing that any attempt to harm or restrict women under cultural pretexts violates constitutional protections.
A coalition of women’s rights groups under the aegis of Womanifesto described the incident as “organised abuse,” calling for the immediate prosecution of all those involved.
The National Association of Nigerian Students also demanded justice, noting that the incident posed a direct threat to the safety and dignity of students in the community.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
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