Reactions have trailed a disturbing videos circulating on social media which showed women and girls being harassed, chased and assaulted during a cultural festival in Ozoro, Delta State, raising concerns over the failure to guarantee protection in communal spaces.
On Thursday, multiple videos appeared on social media showing men in Delta State ripping apart the clothes of young women, while groping them. In one of the clips, a young lady could be seen crying and clutching her torn clothing as some young men violently groped her.
Women and girls were expected not to remain indoors from 12pm to the next day during the festival. Some social media users also claimed that it was the youths in the community who turned the festival into a “rape event” because women were prohibited from participating in the festival.
Videos of the molestation incidents instantly sparked outrage on social media, with many Nigerians calling on security agencies to arrest the perpetrators and protect the women.
While the state government described the acts as barbaric and unacceptable, ActionAid Nigeria condemned the incident as a grave violation of safety and dignity, insisting that no cultural festival or traditional belief should be used to excuse or conceal violence.
The rights organisation rejected attempts in some quarters to downplay the incidents or interpret them as part of cultural practices, stressing that violence against women and girls must not be trivialised or justified under any circumstance.
It maintained that the incident reflects deeper systemic issues of gender-based violence, where harmful norms, silence and weak enforcement enable such abuses to persist.
ActionAid Nigeria urged the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to take immediate action by directing security agencies to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators, while ensuring public disclosure of steps taken, including arrests and prosecution outcomes.
It also called for accountability from security agencies over alleged lapses that allowed the incidents to occur without timely intervention, noting that their mandate should include proactive measures to prevent harm.
In its reaction, the Delta State government through the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, charged security agencies to investigate the incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
“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,” he said.
Aniagwu assured residents that the state government remains committed to protecting the rights and safety of all citizens, particularly women and other vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, the police public relations officer in Delta State, Bright Edafe, has described the incident as “alarming, disgusting and embarrassing.” He would later issue a statement announcing the arrest of a community head, Omorede Sunday, and four other suspects over reported rape and assault of young women during a festival in Oruamudhu community in Ozoro, Isoko north LGA.
