Outrage has trailed scenes from a festival in Delta State, as police confirmed the arrest of the event’s organiser and four other suspects over the assault of women in Oruamudhu community, Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area. The backlash followed the emergence of viral videos showing young women being harassed, stripped, and groped by groups of men during the festival—incidents that have sparked condemnation across social media and beyond. In one of the widely circulated clips, a visibly distressed young woman was seen clutching her torn clothes and crying, while some men surrounded her and assaulted her. Other videos showed similar scenes of chaos, with women subjected to degrading treatment in public. SPONSOR AD The incident has drawn sharp reactions from Nigerians, many of whom described the festival as a “rape event” and demanded immediate action from security agencies to ensure justice for the victims. Reports indicate that women in the community were expected to remain indoors from 12pm on the day of the festival until the following day, a restriction that has further fueled criticism and raised questions about the nature and structure of the event. Additional concern was triggered by messages shared in a WhatsApp group linked to students of Southern Delta University, Ozoro, warning female students to stay indoors and avoid moving around the community during the period. Confirming the arrests, the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, Bright Edafe, identified one of those in custody as Omorede Sunday, the community head and chief organiser of the festival. “The community head and chief organiser of the event, one Chief Omorede Sunday, and four other suspects from Oruamudhu quarters in Ozoro have been arrested,” Edafe wrote on X. He added that the Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation. “The CP has ordered that they should be transferred to State CID with immediate effect. The CP vows that anyone involved will be arrested and brought to justice,” he stated.