Community head and four others transferred to State CID as Delta State Government, police, and local council condemn attacks as ‘barbaric and unacceptable’
Delta State Police have arrested five people, including the chief organiser of a local cultural festival, following the sexual harassment and alleged assault of women in Ozoro on Thursday, March 19. The arrests came hours after videos of the attacks spread widely on social media, drawing nationwide outrage and prompting the Commissioner of Police to order a full-scale criminal investigation.
The incident occurred during the Alue-Do Festival in Uruamudhu Community, one of five traditional communities that make up Ozoro Kingdom, the headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area. Footage circulating on X (formerly Twitter) showed groups of young men forcibly tearing the clothes of women in public, with some accounts alleging that beyond molestation, certain victims were raped — though that claim had not been officially confirmed at the time of publication.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed that Chief Omorede Sunday, identified as the community head and chief organiser of the event, had been arrested alongside four other suspects from Oramudu quarters in Ozoro. Commissioner of Police Aina Adesola ordered their immediate transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
Police: ‘No Custom Is Superior to the Rights of Citizens’
Edafe described the incident as deeply troubling, saying the command condemned it entirely. He urged victims and witnesses to come forward with information, promising strict confidentiality. “This is alarming, disgusting and embarrassing. The CP has ordered an investigation into the incident. The command condemns this in totality — no custom or tradition is superior to the rights of citizens,” Edafe said. “The Commissioner of Police urges Deltans to remain calm while assuring that those responsible for this barbaric act will be arrested and brought to justice.”
In a formal press release, the command stated that tactical and investigative assets had been deployed with a clear mandate to identify, apprehend, and ensure the prosecution of all individuals found culpable.
State Government and Council Chair Condemn Attacks
The Delta State Government issued a strong condemnation on Friday, with Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information Charles Aniagwu calling the acts barbaric and unacceptable. “The Delta State Government strongly condemns the harassment of ladies and the reported cases of rape during the Ozoro Festival. Such barbaric acts are totally unacceptable and have no place in our society,” Aniagwu said. “Cultural celebrations must never be used as a cover for criminality.”
He called on police and security agencies to act swiftly and urged festival organisers across the state to put adequate security measures in place to safeguard participants. The government reiterated its zero tolerance for gender-based violence. Isoko North Local Government Chairman Godwin Ogorugba also condemned what he described as an inhumane and sacrilegious act, vowing to prosecute those responsible.
“This is a condemnable and wicked act for the youths to hide under any form of guise to molest and assault harmless and innocent women during the kingdom’s festival. The act is unacceptable, shameful, and completely at variance with the customs and values of the Isoko people,” Ogorugba said.
The council chairman noted that no official notification or approval had been issued by community leadership for the festival this year — a departure from normal practice that he said made the incident all the more troubling. He denied, however, that rape had occurred, saying disgruntled individuals had exploited the occasion to harass women.
What the Tradition Involves — and What Went Wrong
The Alue-Do Festival is described by Ozoro Kingdom’s leadership as an ancient fertility rite observed by Uruamudhu Community, believed to bring blessings of children to couples experiencing difficulty in childbirth. Traditionally, symbolic practices include playfully dragging and pouring sand on married individuals yet to have children. In a statement signed by President General Odio (Chief) Berkley Asiafa and Secretary General Prince Obaro Egware, Ozoro Kingdom’s leadership acknowledged that some youths had misapplied the cultural practice. “Some youths misinterpreted and misapplied this cultural practice in a negative and unacceptable manner, leading to the harassment of some young women,” the statement read.
The kingdom’s leadership disputed wider allegations, stating that the situation involved the harassment of two young women and that no incidents of rape were recorded. They urged the public to disregard what they called false and misleading reports circulating online.
Community sources and rescue workers who helped victims told journalists that normally the kingdom’s leadership issues safety notifications and sensitisation guidance ahead of the festival, but no such guidance was given this year — a gap that witnesses say contributed directly to the attacks.
Particular concern was raised about the safety of female students at Delta State University, Ozoro, and out-of-town visitors who were unaware of the tradition. “Foreigners who are unaware of this situation have reportedly fallen victim as well. There is a Delta State University in Ozoro, and many female students may not be fully aware of the danger. It is disturbing that something like this could be tolerated in society,” wrote one user on X.
Nationwide Outrage on Social Media
The incident triggered a wave of anger across Nigerian social media, with the hashtag “Stop Raping Women” trending on X. Users demanded swift justice and questioned how long such practices had been allowed to continue. “Some cultures need to die. If your culture tells you there are days meant to rape and molest women, then that culture must die,” wrote one user on X.
Another user challenged the state government directly: “What is the Delta State government even doing about this? How long has this been going on in Ozoro?”
