*Govt Condemns Act, Says Unacceptable, Has No Place In Society
*Cultural Practice Misinterpreted, Misapplied By Youths, Says Kingdom
THE Delta State Police Command has arrested five persons, including the community head and chief organiser of the Ozoro Festival, in connection with the alleged harassment of women during the yearly event.
This is as a viral video on social media allegedly showing some young men harassing young females for daring to come out during the local Alue-Do Festival in Uruamudhu Community, one of the five traditional communities in Ozoro Kingdom, which hosts one of the state’s universities, continue to attract condemnation.
The Command’s spokesman, Bright Edafe, who disclosed this in a post on X on Friday, March 20, said the state Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, had ordered their immediate transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Asaba, the state capital.
According to him: “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.”
The arrests came hours after Adesola ordered a full investigation into the incident, following the viral spread of videos showing groups of young men allegedly attacking women during the festival, forcefully tearing their clothes and subjecting them to various forms of molestation, and allegedly rape.
The incident happened on Thursday, March 19, during the festival, during which women were allegedly expected to remain indoors, with any woman found outside becoming a target for harassment.
Edafe, earlier in a statement, said tactical and investigative assets had been duly deployed to identify, apprehend and ensure the prosecution of all individuals found culpable, urging the public, particularly victims and witnesses, to come forward with any information that would aid ongoing investigations.
He assured that “all information provided will be treated with strict confidentiality and the highest level of professionalism.”
He added: “The commissioner of Police appeals to residents of the state to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding, while assuring that the Command remains fully committed to protecting lives, safeguarding the rights of all citizens and maintaining public order.
“The Command condemns this development in totality and assures that all those involved in these reprehensible acts will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.”
The Command described the incident as “alarming, disgusting and embarrassing,” saying no custom or tradition is superior to the rights of citizens.
The state government, while also condemning the act, described it as “barbaric and unacceptable.”
Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, said in a statement: “The Delta State Government strongly condemns the harassment of ladies and the reported cases of rape during the Ozoro festival.
“Such barbaric acts are totally unacceptable and have no place in our society,”
Aniagwu said cultural celebrations must never serve as a cover for criminal acts, urging the Police and other security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of these heinous acts and bring them to justice., insisting that no individual or group should be allowed to hide under the guise of a festival to perpetrate criminal activities.
The commissioner charged community leaders and organisers of cultural festivals across the state to put adequate security measures in place to safeguard participants and prevent a recurrence, reiterating government’s zero tolerance for gender-based violence and warning that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
Meanwhile, the leadership of Ozoro Kingdom has pushed back against what it described as misinformation circulating online.
The kingdom, in a press statement signed by its President General, Berkley Asiafa, and Secretary General, Obaro Egware, said while certain symbolic practices are part of the tradition, they were misapplied by some youths during the traditional festival associated with fertility rites.
According to the statement: “Some youths misinterpreted and misapplied this cultural practice in a negative and unacceptable manner, leading to the harassment of some young women.”
The community leaders, however, dismissed reports of rape and widespread violence during the festival.
