Delta State Police have clarified that the Alue-Do festival in Ozoro was a fertility event intended to pray for women seeking children, and not a “rape festival.”
Police spokesperson Bright Edafe said no reports of rape have been filed in connection with the festival. Interviews with four women involved also indicated that none had been assaulted.
Edafe explained that the festival, organised by a chief priest, is a traditional fertility rite and is not designed to encourage sexual violence. Investigations are ongoing, focusing on sexual assault claims where evidence exists.
He confirmed that 16 suspects are currently in custody. The chief priest and four others were initially arrested, with 11 more identified through video footage from the festival.
