A shocking event in Ozoro, Delta State, Nigeria, has triggered widespread outrage both nationally and internationally. Reports of a "rape festival," during which women and girls were allegedly subjected to collective sexual assaults, have surfaced, sparking strong condemnation and calls for action.
According to numerous accounts circulating on social media, this festival is said to occur annually in Ozoro, where women and girls are sexually assaulted by groups of men. Videos circulating online depict scenes of women being attacked, their clothes torn, eliciting horror and anger. Residents have reported that women are warned not to go outside during the festival, but female students at Delta State University, located in Ozoro, may be unaware of this tradition and become victims.
The Delta State Police Command has announced the launch of an investigation into these events and has arrested several suspects, including a local chief identified as Omorede Sunday, believed to be the festival's organizer. Commissioner of Police Aina Adesola has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department and vowed that anyone involved will be brought to justice.
The Delta State government has strongly condemned these acts, calling them barbaric and unacceptable. The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, stated that no cultural activity should serve as a pretext for criminal acts and called on law enforcement to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has also expressed deep concern and emphasized that no cultural or traditional practice can justify sexual violence.
Voices within the Ozoro community have disputed reports of widespread rape, while acknowledging that acts of harassment did occur during the festival. Community leaders stated that some youths took advantage of the occasion to misbehave and harass women but denied that rapes were committed. Ovie Umuakpo, former President of the Isoko National Youth Assembly, claimed that the festival had been hijacked by criminal elements.
The events in Ozoro have sparked a wave of outrage in Nigeria and abroad, with calls for authorities to put an end to these practices and ensure the safety of women. The police investigation is ongoing, and they have appealed to witnesses to provide information that could help identify and bring to justice those responsible for these assaults.
