The Delta State Police Command has dismissed widespread claims describing the controversial Alue-Do festival in Ozoro as a “rape festival,” stating that no victim has officially reported rape in connection with the incident.
Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, clarified the position during an interview, stressing that investigations are strictly evidence-based.
“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 explained that while disturbing videos from the event sparked outrage nationwide, the police would proceed based on verified testimonies and available evidence.
“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 further clarified that the Alue-Do festival, a traditional rite, was not intended to promote sexual violence.
“It was not a rape festival. It was a festival organised by a chief priest to pray for barren women seeking the fruit of the womb. That was the intention,” he said.
The police confirmed that 16 suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident, including the chief priest and community head.
“Having done the initial arrest, the chief priest… was initially arrested alongside four others. Then, having gone through video analysis… some additional individuals were identified and arrested, making it 11 more,” Edafe said.
“This brings the total number of suspects currently in custody to 16, and they have been transferred to the State Command Headquarters to be duly investigated by the DC State CID,” he added.
The police spokesperson also disclosed that officers visited Ozoro and nearby Oramudu community, where they met with four victims.
He said authorities have assured the victims of medical care, compensation for losses, and psychological support to aid recovery.
Edafe criticised the organisers for failing to notify key stakeholders, including the police, traditional authorities, and educational institutions.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
According to the police, the festival is held once every three to four years, and this is the first time such an incident has been recorded in the state.
Edafe also urged parents and guardians to be more vigilant, noting that safeguarding responsibility extends to all children.
The incident triggered national outrage after viral videos showed mobs of men harassing and assaulting women in broad daylight. Some social media users labelled the event a “rape festival,” a claim now rejected by authorities.
Community leaders have maintained that hoodlums hijacked the gathering to perpetrate criminal acts.
The Delta State Government has since condemned the incident, emphasising that cultural practices cannot justify criminal behaviour. Authorities have also announced a ban on the Alue-Do festival, while the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further probe.
Meanwhile, the Ozoro Kingdom Palace condemned the violence, describing the harassment of women as “unacceptable” and contrary to the community’s values.
The palace distanced itself from claims suggesting the acts were sanctioned, insisting such narratives are false and damaging. While acknowledging the festival’s cultural significance as a fertility rite, it stressed that tradition must never be used to justify abuse.
