Videos showing women being chased, stripped and sexually assaulted by groups of men during the Alue-Do fertility festival in Ozoro, Delta State, Nigeria, have sparked global condemnation. The incidents, captured during the annual event, led to a police investigation and multiple arrests amid outrage over the violence seen in broad daylight.
Disturbing Festival Footage
Footage circulated on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X shows women running through crowded streets being surrounded and attacked by men who pull at their clothing. Several of the victims are believed to be female university students, some of whom have been hospitalised following the assaults.
Victim Speaks Out
One victim, student Ezeugo Ijeoma Rosemary, described being targeted immediately upon arrival, saying: “Immediately I came down, they started shouting ‘hold her, hold her, that’s a woman’, and they swooped on me like bees. A large crowd started pulling my clothes until they stripped me naked. They were pulling my breasts and touching my whole body. I was shouting for help.” She was ultimately rescued by a bystander but her mobile phone was stolen. She has not returned to school and is still coping with trauma.
Police Crackdown Underway
Delta State police confirmed several arrests, including a community leader and four men seen in the viral videos. Police Commissioner Aina Adesola ordered the suspects transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department. Spokesman Bright Edafe said those responsible would face charges and urged more victims and witnesses to come forward, noting no formal rape complaints had yet been filed.
Community Response
Local leaders branded the attacks the work of “criminal elements” hijacking the fertility festival, which they say originally involves only symbolic rituals like dragging and pouring sand to bless couples. They called claims of widespread sexual assault “false and misleading” but admitted some acted irresponsibly.
Calls For Wider Change
Women’s rights activists condemned the attacks as symptomatic of deeper social issues, highlighting how assaults overtaken by crowds can happen in public with little intervention. Rita Aiki from the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative said: “This is not just about what happened in those videos. It’s about the conditions that make it possible for this kind of violence to happen in public, with so many people watching and no one stepping in.” The police investigation is ongoing with further suspects expected as authorities review video footage and witness statements.
