Outrage has spread across Nigeria after videos showed women being assaulted during a traditional festival in Ozoro, Delta State, prompting arrests and a government investigation.
The attacks occurred on Thursday during the ‘Alue-Do’ festival in Isoko North Local Government Area. Clips shared online showed young women chased, stripped and molested in public. In one video, a woman was dragged from a motorcycle and attacked. Others showed victims trying to escape or shield themselves from mobs.
The number of victims remains unclear.
Residents said the festival, described locally as a fertility rite, includes restrictions on women’s movement at certain hours. Women seen outside during that period risk harassment. Some residents said they stayed indoors after warnings were issued.
“We locked ourselves in,” one resident said, adding that organisers had announced that women should not go out. Social media users also described fear and panic, with some saying they avoided leaving their homes.
The Ovie of Ozoro Kingdom, Anthony Ogbogbo, said he was unaware of any such festival and condemned the violence. He said he had received numerous videos and calls about the incident, stressing that such acts had never been part of the community’s traditions.
The Student Union Government of Southern Delta University confirmed that some victims were students and had received hospital treatment. The union said no rape was confirmed but described the assaults as serious and unacceptable.
Community leaders admitted that some youths acted irresponsibly and said security agencies had begun investigations.
The Delta State Government condemned the incident, calling it “barbaric and unacceptable”. Officials said no cultural event should serve as a cover for crime and ordered a full probe.
Police confirmed the arrest of a community leader and four others linked to organising the festival. The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department. Authorities said more arrests may follow.
The Federal Government also condemned the attacks and called for a swift and transparent investigation.
Rights groups and legal experts said the incident amounted to a clear violation of constitutional protections. Many Nigerians have demanded accountability, warning that cultural practices cannot override fundamental human rights.
