*Photo: His Royal Majesty, Barr. Ovietobore Anthony Ogbogbo JP, the Ovie of Ozoro kingdom*
The leadership of Ozoro Kingdom in Delta State has warned “those spreading misinformation” across the social media on the current alleged “rape festival” to desist from doing so to prevent further violence.
The leadership of the kingdom maintained that the ancient culture and festival were misinterpreted and misapplied by some youths in the community, stressing that no incident of rape was recorded.
A statement signed by the President General of Ozoro Kingdom, Odio (Chief) Berkley Asiafa and Secretary General, Prince Obaro Egware, clarified the whole incidents that occurred on Thursday, March 19, correcting the wrong impression circulating on social media regarding the events.
“Ozoro Kingdom is made up of five traditional communities, each with its distinct customs, traditions, and festivals. On the said date, Uruamudhu Community celebrated one of its ancient festivals known as the Alue-Do Festival.
“The Alue-Do Festival is traditionally regarded as a festival of fertility. It is widely believed to be a cultural practice that brings blessings of children to individuals or couples experiencing difficulty in childbirth. As part of this long-standing tradition, certain symbolic practices are observed, including the act of playfully dragging and pouring sand on married individuals who are yet to have children, as a cultural expression believed to invoke fertility.
“However, it has come to our attention that some youths misinterpreted and misapplied this cultural practice in a negative and unacceptable manner, leading to the harassment of some young women.
“We wish to clearly state that reports circulating on social media alleging that rape and widespread atrocities occurred during the festival are false and misleading. No incidents of rape were recorded.”
The leaders of Ozoro Kingdom clarified that the situation involved the harassment of two young women by individuals who took advantage of the occasion to act irresponsibly.
The leaders strongly condemned any form of harassment or misconduct, saying that such behavior is not part of “our culture and traditions and will not be tolerated.”
The leaders said appropriate steps are being taken to address the actions of those involved and to ensure that future celebrations are conducted in a peaceful, respectful, and orderly manner.
“We urge the public to disregard false reports and refrain from spreading misinformation that may tarnish the image of our cherished cultural heritage,” the leaders advised.
An elder in the kingdom said the Ozoro incident was not a rape festival as it has been widely publicized.
“It is in same rank and file with Oro festival in Yorubaland where women are not allowed to come out at certain times,” he said
Also, a senior lecturer from one of the universities in Delta State, who also prefers to be anonymous, in an interview said the narrative making the rounds was a misrepresentation of what happened.
According to him, “Some miscreants use it to molest females and the youth are not necessarily Ozoro Youths since the community is cosmopolitan as it hosts Southern Delta University and numerous non-indigenes who work in financial institutions and government offices. The narrative is grossly a misrepresentation of what happened. Nobody was raped, however, several females were molested.”