The Delta State Police Command has dismissed reports describing the controversial Alue-Do festival in Ozoro as a “rape festival,” insisting that no official report of rape has been received.
Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, made this known during an interview on The Morning Brief, stating that investigations so far do not support the allegations.
“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 emphasised that the police are relying strictly on evidence and witness accounts in handling the case.
“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.
According to Edafe, the Alue-Do festival was never intended to promote sexual violence but is traditionally a fertility rite organised by a chief priest.
“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.
However, he revealed that the event was poorly coordinated, as key stakeholders were not informed before it was held.
“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.
The incident, which sparked nationwide outrage after disturbing videos surfaced online showing women being harassed in public, has led to swift action by authorities.
Fifteen suspects, including the community head and chief organiser, have been arrested, while the Delta State Government has condemned the incident and banned the festival, stressing that cultural practices must not be used to justify criminal acts.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the Ozoro Kingdom Palace has also condemned the harassment and intimidation of women linked to the event, distancing itself from claims that such actions were sanctioned.
The palace described the acts as unacceptable and contrary to the values of the kingdom, reiterating that while the Alue-Do festival holds cultural significance, tradition must never be used as a cover for abuse or misconduct.
