Ozoro, Delta State, Nigeria – Authorities in the southern Nigerian state of Delta have denied allegations that the controversial Alue-Do traditional festival in the town of Ozoro was designed to promote sexual violence. The Delta State Police Command stated that no victim has formally reported a case of rape linked to the gathering.
Bright Edafe, the Public Relations Officer for the state police, addressed the situation on Monday, March 23, 2026, during a television broadcast on the Channels Television network. Okay News reports that the incident gained international attention after videos surfaced on social media networks showing crowds of men assaulting and harassing women in daylight. This prompted widespread anger, with internet users labelling the event a festival of rape.
However, the police spokesperson maintained that the investigation is focused on sexual assault due to a lack of rape complaints.
“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 further explained the legal basis for their approach to 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 the authorities, the Alue-Do festival is a traditional ceremony held every three to four years. It was originally intended as a fertility rite for women.
“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,” Edafe stated.
The police noted that the organisers failed to follow proper procedures or notify relevant institutions before hosting the event.
“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 concluded.
Local community leaders have argued that criminals took advantage of the large crowd to commit the assaults. In response, law enforcement officers have arrested 15 individuals, which includes the chief priest and head of the community.
The government of Delta State has strongly condemned the attacks, declaring that cultural traditions cannot excuse criminal acts. The state government has placed an immediate ban on the Alue-Do festival. The case has now been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for an in-depth review.
Furthermore, the traditional leadership of the Ozoro Kingdom issued a statement rejecting the harassment of women. The royal palace described the violence as unacceptable and entirely against their local values, dismissing social media rumours that the community leaders approved of the assaults.
