Police arrest community head, four others over Delta festival assaults

The Delta State Police Command says it has arrested five individuals, including the community head and chief organiser of the Ozoro festival, over the alleged sexual assault of women during the annual event.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a post on X on Friday, identifying the organiser as Chief Omorede Sunday, along with four other suspects from the Oramudu quarters in Ozoro.

Edafe said the Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, had ordered their immediate transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation.

“The community head and chief organiser of the event, one chief Omorede Sunday and four other suspects from Oramudu quarters in Ozoro have been arrested. The CP has ordered that they should be transferred to State CID with immediate effect. The CP vows that anyone involved will be arrested and brought to justice,” he wrote.

The arrests followed the circulation of disturbing videos showing groups of young men allegedly attacking women during the festival, forcibly tearing their clothes and subjecting them to various forms of molestation.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, March 19, during the annual celebration, where women are said to be expected to remain indoors, with those seen outside allegedly becoming targets for harassment.

Some reports also suggested that beyond molestation, certain victims may have been raped, although these claims had not been officially confirmed at the time of filing this report.

Edafe had earlier condemned the incident, describing it as “alarming, disgusting and embarrassing,” adding that the police command rejected such acts “in totality.”

“No custom or tradition is superior to the rights of citizens,” he said, while urging witnesses with useful information to come forward.

The Delta State Government also denounced the incident. The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, described the acts as barbaric and unacceptable.

“We are calling on the police and other security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of these heinous acts and bring them to justice. No individual or group should be allowed to hide under the guise of a festival to perpetrate criminal activities,” Aniagwu said.

He urged community leaders and festival organisers to ensure proper security measures are in place to prevent a recurrence.

The government reiterated its zero tolerance for gender-based violence, warning that anyone found guilty would face the full weight of the law.

The incident has triggered widespread outrage on X, with users calling for justice under the hashtag “Stop Raping Women.”

One user, Moyosoreoluwa, wrote: “Stop raping women!!!! What is the delta state government even doing about this? How long has this been going on in Ozoro, Delta State??”

Another user, Nze, added: “Some cultures need to die, and if your culture is tampering on human rights, it needs to die! If your culture tells you that there are days meant to rape and molest women, then that culture must die!”