The king of the Ozoro Kingdom in Delta State says he didn’t know about a contentious event that is connected to claims of abuse of women and girls. The incident has caused uproar across Nigeria.
His Royal Majesty Anthony Ogbogbo, the traditional ruler, made the clarification when a group from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) came to his palace after hearing about harassment during the “Alue-Do” celebration.
The king said that in his more than twenty years on the throne, he had never seen anything like this. He said, “I’ve never heard of a festival where girls are harassed or molested,” which made the palace seem less involved in the widely reviled event.
The films that went viral show young people chasing, stripping, and attacking women during the cultural gathering in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area. The distressing video caused uproar across the country and brought up worries about violence against women again.
During the visit to the palace, the NANS team and student leaders from Southern Delta University revealed that some of the victims were students who had already received medical care. Reports said there were no proven cases of rape, but the students said the occurrences were serious molestation and a breach of human dignity.
NANS condemned the attacks, calling them a serious violation of human rights and a danger to the safety of students in the area. The group asked law enforcement to make sure that a full investigation is done and that those responsible are punished.
The Delta State Government has also spoken out against the incident, calling it “barbaric” and unacceptable. They have also said that no traditional ritual should excuse violence against women. Authorities are looking into the matter, and police have confirmed that they have arrested those who are connected to it.
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Civil society groups, like ActionAid Nigeria, have also called for the prompt prosecution of those guilty, saying that cultural customs should not be used to justify abuse or violate the rights and dignity of women and girls.
The event has made people more vocal about the need for stronger enforcement of laws that protect women and a reassessment of customary behaviors that could put people in danger.
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