Police arrest six over bizarre festival where women are publicly gang-raped by men

The police in Delta State, Nigeria’s South-south, said they have arrested six suspects over a bizarre festival where women are publicly gang-raped by men.

The festival reportedly took place at the Ozoro community in the Isoko North Local Government area of Delta.

Bright Edafe, the police spokesperson in Delta, disclosed the arrest in a post on X on Friday, 20 March.

Mr Edafe, a superintendent of police, named a local chief, Omorede Sunday, as the festival organiser. He said the chief and another suspect, who is the community head, have been arrested, alongside four others.

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“The commissioner of police has ordered that they should be transferred to State CID with immediate effect,” the spokesperson said, adding that the commissioner has vowed that anyone involved will be arrested and brought to justice.

An X user, Teniola (@Teeniiola), posted a video clip on the microblogging site, said to be of the festival.

“Many girls have reportedly been raped and molested by men in Ozoro during what is being described as a ‘raping festival’ in the area,” he commented on the clip, which captured a crowd of rowdy young men assaulting a young woman, whose bra had already been torn.

“According to multiple reports and videos circulating online, today is said to be the day of this festival in the Ozoro community, and girls are warned not to go outside.

“It is alleged that any girl seen outside could be attacked and raped by groups of men,” said the X user.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the bizarre festival has been an ancient tradition in the Ozoro community.

“Apparently, this is a tradition that has been going on for decades, and it’s a feast of a particular deity which lasts for seven days.

“In these seven days, women are not supposed to be outside, and if found, men have the free rein to molest and sexually assault them,” an X user, Veronica Park (@Tegsmamaa) said on the social media site.

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Nigerians have been outraged by the viral clips of the assault on women, with many calling on the police to go after the perpetrators.

“What kind of evil in the name of festival is this?” a Nigerian pastor, Fisayo Adeniyi, stated on X, while urging the police to arrest not only the community leaders, but everyone whose faces can be identified in the clips.

The Delta State Government has condemned the incident, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable.

“We are calling on the police and other security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of these heinous acts and bring them to justice.

“No individual or group should be allowed to hide under the guise of a festival to perpetrate criminal activities,” the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, stated in a statement on Friday.