The Delta State Police Command has arrested five persons, including a community head and festival organiser, over alleged sexual assaults on women during an annual festival in Ozoro, Delta State.
The arrests were confirmed on Friday following a police-ordered investigation into viral videos showing women being attacked and molested during the event on Thursday.
Police spokesperson Bright Edafe disclosed that the suspects include Chief Omorede Sunday, identified as the community head and chief organiser of the festival, alongside four others from Oramudu quarters in Ozoro.
According to Mr Edafe, the Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, has directed the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further probing. He added that the command is determined to ensure all those involved are identified and prosecuted.
Background
The arrests followed widespread outrage after videos surfaced online showing groups of young men allegedly attacking women during the festival, forcibly tearing their clothes and subjecting them to various forms of sexual molestation.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred during a controversial local practice in which women are allegedly expected to remain indoors on the festival day, with those seen outside becoming targets for harassment. While some accounts suggested cases of rape, authorities said such claims were yet to be officially confirmed as of press time.
Earlier, Mr Edafe described the incident as “alarming, disgusting and embarrassing,” stressing that the police condemned the acts in their entirety. He urged witnesses with credible information to come forward, emphasizing that “no custom or tradition is superior to the rights of citizens.”
The Delta State Government also condemned the incident, with Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, describing the acts as barbaric and unacceptable.
He called on security agencies to ensure all perpetrators are brought to justice and warned against using cultural events as cover for criminal acts.
Mr Aniagwu further urged community leaders and festival organisers across the state to strengthen security measures to protect participants and prevent a recurrence, reiterating the government’s zero tolerance for gender-based violence.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with users rallying under the hashtag “Stop Raping Women” and demanding swift justice, while questioning the persistence of practices that endanger women under the guise of tradition.
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