The Delta State Police Command has arrested five persons, including a community head and chief organiser of the Ozoro festival, over the alleged sexual assault of women during the annual event in Delta State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, disclosed the arrests in a post on X on Friday. He identified the community head and chief organiser as Chief Omorede Sunday, alongside four other suspects from Oramudu quarters in Ozoro.
According to Edafe, the Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further probe.
“The community head and chief organiser of the event… and four other suspects… 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 stated.
The arrests followed the circulation of disturbing videos showing groups of young men allegedly attacking women during the festival. Victims were reportedly assaulted, with some having their clothes forcefully torn in public.
The incident, said to have occurred on Thursday, March 19, has drawn widespread condemnation. Reports suggest that women are traditionally expected to remain indoors during the festival, with those found outside allegedly subjected to harassment.
While some accounts claimed that certain victims may have been raped, authorities said such allegations had yet to be officially confirmed at the time of reporting.
Earlier, Edafe described the incident as “alarming, disgusting and embarrassing,” stressing that the command condemned it “in totality.”
“No custom or tradition is superior to the rights of citizens,” he said, urging witnesses to provide useful information to aid investigations.
The Delta State Government also condemned 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 further urged community leaders and festival organisers across the state to implement proper security measures to protect participants and 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 sparked outrage on social media, with many users demanding justice and calling for an end to harmful practices disguised as cultural traditions.
