The Delta State Police Command has denied that the controversial Alue-Do celebration in Ozoro was a “rape festival.”
The police stated that no victim has formally alleged rape in connection with the incident.
Bright Edafe, the state’s police public relations officer, said this on Monday during an interview with Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
“It is important to state clearly that among the four girls that were interviewed yesterday, no one, not one of them, said they were raped. Up till this very moment, we have not had any official reports that anybody was raped,” Edafe said.
He emphasized that investigations are guided strictly by evidence and witness statements.
“The law does not work on emotions; the law works on available evidence and statements of witnesses. For the fact that we have not had a witness who says, “I was raped,” and the evidence does not show that anybody was raped, sexual assault is what we would be investigating,” he added.
Edafe explained that the festival was not intended to promote sexual violence but rather was a traditional rite organized by a chief priest.
“It was not a rape festival. It was a festival organized by a chief priest to pray for barren women seeking the fruit of the womb. That was the intention,” he said.
However, he mentioned that due process was not followed in organizing the event, as key authorities were not informed beforehand.
“For reasons best known to them, the traditional ruler of Ozoro Kingdom was not informed, the students’ union was not informed, and the school management was not informed.
“They also did not inform the police. That is why the chief priest is presently in our custody because his negligence has led to this embarrassment and to the sexual assault of these innocent girls,” Edafe stated.
According to the police spokesperson, the event occurs every three or four years, and this is the first time such an issue has been reported in Delta State.
He also advised parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children, emphasizing that safeguarding should not be confined to female youngsters alone.
The incident generated nationwide outrage after footage circulated on social media showing hordes of males harassing and assaulting women in broad daylight, with some users referring to the event as a “rape festival.”
However, community leaders reported that the meeting had been hijacked by hoodlums who used the throng to commit crimes.
The police have since arrested 15 individuals, including the festival’s community chairman and senior organizer.
The Delta State Government has strongly criticized the incident, emphasizing that traditional norms cannot be used to excuse criminal activity.
The Alue-Do event was subsequently prohibited, and the case has been referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the Ozoro Kingdom Palace has condemned incidents of violence, harassment, and intimidation against women at the festival.
The palace called the harassment of women on the occasion reprehensible and antithetical to the kingdom’s principles.
It also rejected reports on social media that such actions were sanctioned, calling them untrue and potentially damaging.
While appreciating the historic significance of the Alue-Do celebration as a fertility rite, the palace stressed that tradition should never be used to justify abuse or misbehavior.
