Police in southern Nigeria have arrested 15 people following the circulation of viral videos showing women being chased, stripped, and assaulted during a traditional festival.

The footage, filmed during the Alue-Do fertility rites in the town of Ozoro, Delta State, sparked international outrage and led to the trending hashtag #StopRapingWomen. The clips appear to show groups of young men openly targeting women in public spaces while onlookers filmed the attacks.

While social media users described the event as a “rape festival,” Delta State police have firmly rejected that characterisation.

‘Alarming and embarrassing’

Speaking to Channels TV on Monday, police spokesperson Bright Edafe described the scenes as “alarming, disgusting, and embarrassing.” He confirmed that several suspects identified in the footage had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

However, Mr Edafe stressed that no formal reports of rape had been lodged. “We have spoken to four girls and all of them said nobody raped them,” he said. Among those detained is a community leader identified as a primary organiser of the event.

Tradition or targeted violence?

The Alue-Do festival is ancient fertility rite, but activists and residents claim the latest iteration saw women deliberately targeted. Some witnesses alleged that women were warned to stay indoors, and those who ventured out were viewed as “fair game” for public humiliation.

Rights groups argue that regardless of whether intercourse occurred, the documented acts—including forced stripping and physical grabbing—constitute “serious gender-based violence” under Nigerian law.

The traditional ruler, the King of Ozoro, has defended the heritage of the festival, insisting that the rites do not condone assault. He claimed the tradition was “misinterpreted and abused by some youths,” maintaining that while two women were harassed, such acts are “criminal, not cultural.”

National condemnation

The incident has reached the highest levels of government. Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, who has family roots in Delta State, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attacks.

“No culture justifies violating women and girls,” she said, praising the police for the swift arrests and urging victims to come forward for medical and psychological support.

The Delta State government has echoed this sentiment, stating that no recognised festival in the region permits sexual assault and that any such violence will be treated strictly as a criminal matter rather than a traditional misunderstanding.