Ozoro Festival: 16 Suspects Arrested So Far, No Official Rape Report Yet – Police

 

The Delta State Police Command has dismissed claims that the controversial Alue-Do festival in Ozoro was a “rape festival”, stating that no victim has officially reported rape in connection with the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Bright Edafe, made this known on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme.

“It is important to state clearly that among the four girls that were interviewed yesterday, no one, not one of them, said they were raped. Up till this very moment, we have not had any official reports that anybody was raped,” he said.

Edafe stressed that investigations are guided strictly by evidence and witness accounts, and explained that the festival, being a traditional rite, was not intended to promote sexual violence.

“It was not a rape festival. It was a festival organised by a chief priest to pray for barren women seeking the fruit of the womb. That was the intention.

“The law does not work on emotions; the law works on available evidence and statements of witnesses. For the fact that we have not had a witness who says ‘I was raped’, and the evidence does not show that anybody was raped, sexual assault is what we would be investigating,” Edafe said.

The PRO also revealed that 16 suspects have been arrested so far.

“Having done the initial arrest, the chief priest, who happens to be the head of the community, was initially arrested alongside four others. Then, having gone through video analysis, that is, the training footage, some additional individuals were identified and arrested, making it 11 more.

“This brings the total number of suspects currently in custody to 16, and they have been transferred to the State Command Headquarters to be duly investigated by the DC State CID,” Edafe said.

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The spokesman said that the police visited Uzoro and the Oramudu community to assess the situation and met with four victims.

He stated that the force assured them that the state government would cover their medical needs, compensate for lost property and money, and provide psychological support to help them recover from the trauma.

 

‘No Prior Information’

 

However, he noted that due process was not followed in organising the event, as key authorities were not informed.

“For reasons best known to them, the traditional ruler of Ozoro Kingdom was not informed, the students’ union was not informed, and the school management was not informed.

“They also did not inform the police. That is why the chief priest is presently in our custody, because his negligence has led to this embarrassment and to the sexual assault of these innocent girls,” he said.

 

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According to the police spokesperson, the festival is said to occur “once every three or four years, and this is the first time such an incident has been recorded in Delta State.”

Edafe also urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children, noting that safeguarding should not be limited to the girl child alone.

 

Ozoro Festival

 

The controversy surrounding the festival sparked national outrage after viral videos showed mobs of men harassing and assaulting women in broad daylight, with some social media users describing the event as a “rape festival”.

Community leaders, however, maintain that the festival was hijacked by hoodlums who exploited the gathering to perpetrate criminal acts.

Authorities have since taken action, with the police confirming the arrests of suspects, including the community head and chief organiser.

The Delta State Government has also condemned the incident, stressing that cultural practices cannot excuse criminal behaviour. The Alue-Do festival has since been banned, while the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

 

Meanwhile, the Ozoro Kingdom Palace has condemned acts of violence, harassment and intimidation against women linked to the festival.

The palace described the harassment of women during the event as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘contrary to the kingdom’s values’.

The palace distanced itself from claims circulating on social media that such actions were sanctioned, describing them as false and potentially harmful.

While acknowledging the cultural significance of the Alue-Do festival as a fertility rite, the palace emphasised that tradition must never be used to justify abuse or misconduct.