Residents of Ozoro community in Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State, have addressed growing controversy surrounding the traditional Aluedor festival, rejecting claims circulating on social media that label it a “rape festival.”
In a phone interview with Vanguard, community indigene, Comrade Lucky Agelive, explained that the Aluedor festival is a longstanding fertility rite, not an event that promotes sexual violence.
According to him, the cultural practice is observed occasionally, sometimes once every 10 to 15 years and is mainly confined to the Oramudhu quarter of Ozoro.
“It is a fertility festival,” he said. “Women who have not given birth participate by performing symbolic acts, including pouring sand on their abdomen, praying for children. This has been the tradition from our forefathers.”
Agelive emphasized that the ritual is not held across the entire community but is specific to the Oramudhu clan.
He added that prior to the event, repeated announcements are made to inform residents and caution people, particularly women, to avoid the area during the ritual.
“Announcements are made repeatedly, even weeks before the event, in both English and Isoko language. People are told clearly to stay away from the area during the hours of the ritual,” he added.
Reacting to viral videos showing young women being harassed, Agelive condemned the behaviour but dismissed claims of rape, describing the incidents as acts of molestation.
“There was no rape. What happened was molestation, some girls who came out of curiosity had their clothes torn and were touched inappropriately. We strongly condemn that. That is not our culture,” he said.
He further claimed that those involved in the misconduct were not members of the local community.
“Those who hijacked the process were strangers and some miscreants. Ozoro is no longer a small village; many outsiders and students live here,” he noted.
Supporting this position, a non-indigene resident and former student of Ozoro Polytechnic, Faith Oghenevoke, said she had lived in the area for six years without previously witnessing the festival.
“I had never heard of it happening before,” she said. “It is called a fertility festival where women who have children symbolically bless those who do not. There is nothing like a rape festival.”
While acknowledging the troubling content of the viral footage, Oghenevoke attributed the actions to misconduct by some youths rather than the cultural practice itself.
“I saw the video too, and it was wrong. That was molestation by some boys. But that is not what the festival stands for,” she stated.
She also disclosed that authorities have reportedly taken steps in response to the incident.
“I heard about 11 persons have been apprehended, and the traditional ruler has also made a statement distancing the community from the incident,” she said.
Community leaders have reiterated that the Aluedor festival is a respected cultural heritage centered on fertility blessings.
They urged the public to ignore misleading narratives online and called for a full investigation into the misconduct seen in the viral videos, stressing the importance of upholding tradition while ensuring those responsible are held accountable.
