In brief
In response to alarming videos depicting sexual assaults during the Alue-Do festival in Delta state, Nigerian police have made 15 arrests. Authorities denied claims of a 'rape festival,' with investigations ongoing. The incident has triggered widespread public outrage and emphasized the issue of gender-based violence in Nigeria.
Police in Nigeria have arrested 15 individuals following allegations of sexual assault that occurred during a community festival in Delta State. Videos circulating online depicted disturbing scenes of young men attacking women in public, leading to widespread outrage and the trending hashtag #StopRapingWomen on social media.In the aftermath of the incident, Delta State police rejected claims suggesting that the Alue-Do festival, held in Ozoro, was a 'rape festival.' Authorities clarified that no formal reports of rape related to the event had been made.The videos from the Alue-Do fertility festival show groups of men chasing and assaulting women, prompting the police to describe the incidents as 'alarming, disgusting, and embarrassing.' The police transferred several identified suspects to the state Criminal Investigation Department for further inquiry.Witness testimonies, combined with community reports, indicate that women were warned against venturing out during specific festival hours and that those who appeared in public were often deliberately targeted. This raises critical concerns that instances of sexual violence may be either organized or tolerated under the guise of tradition.Rights groups assert that regardless of whether rape occurred, the documented actions - including forced stripping and public humiliation - constitute serious gender-based violence as per Nigerian law. Traditional leaders and the Delta state government condemned the actions, emphasizing that such offenses should be treated strictly as criminal acts rather than cultural phenomena.Nigeria's First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has also publicly condemned the assaults, urging law enforcement to take decisive action against offenders and to support victims in seeking medical and psychological assistance.
