Ozoro Panic: Female Students Flee Southern Delta University Amid Fears of Renewed Attacks!
Ozoro Panic: Female Students Flee Southern Delta University Amid Fears of Renewed Attacks!
Reported by Mustapha Omolabake Omowumi (Journalist) | Sele Media Africa
In a disturbing development in Delta State, scores of female students have reportedly fled the community surrounding Southern Delta University in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, over fears of further attacks during a local festival. The exodus highlights escalating concerns about student safety, human rights protections, and law enforcement’s ability to prevent targeted violence in host communities.
The panic has been linked to widely circulated videos showing groups of men chasing, assaulting, and stripping women in broad daylight during what is locally known as the “Alue-Do” festival, held on March 19, 2026. The footage shows terrified women — including students — fleeing mobs through Ozoro’s streets, sparking outrage and condemnation from media outlets, civil society groups, and human rights advocates nationwide.
According to testimonies from student representatives and community sources, tensions have remained high in the days following the incidents. Many female students have relocated to safer areas, while others remain on edge, fearful of “fresh attacks” if the festival continues. A student leader told local media, “Most of the female students are scared. Many left early in the morning and continued to leave throughout the day, uncertain how long this festival will last and fearful for their safety.”
Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the festival’s origins and cultural significance. While some residents describe Alue-Do as a traditional observance with deep historical roots in the Ozoro Kingdom, others insist that the violence depicted in the videos represents opportunistic criminal behaviour by a group of youths rather than any sanctioned cultural activity. Delta State authorities have not confirmed that the harassment and assaults are part of recognized festival practices.
In response to the incidents, the Delta State Police Command has arrested multiple suspects, including a community leader identified as Omorede Sunday, along with several others believed to have organised or participated in the attacks. These individuals have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation. Police officials have vowed to identify and prosecute all persons implicated under existing law.
Delta State government representatives have condemned the attacks, describing them as criminal, unacceptable, and inconsistent with cultural practices. Officials have called for a thorough investigation and affirmed that no cultural event can justify acts of violence or violations of fundamental human rights.
The events have drawn widespread condemnation from student bodies, national organisations, and civil society groups. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone B South-South, described the assaults as a “gross violation of human rights” and urged security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services, to act decisively to restore safety and accountability.
Professional organisations such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have also weighed in, branding the attacks a “national disgrace.” NBA officials stressed that tolerating such violence undermines the rule of law and societal dignity, calling for urgent measures to protect women and enforce existing legal protections against gender-based violence.
The Ozoro festival incident has ignited national discourse on the misuse of cultural practices to perpetrate violence. Advocates for women’s rights and civil liberties emphasise that the rights to safety, dignity, and freedom of movement are non-negotiable and that alleged criminal acts, irrespective of context, must face rigorous legal scrutiny and sanctions.
As female students continue to leave Ozoro, disrupting campus life, the episode raises pressing questions about community safety, the protection of students in host communities, and enforcement of human rights standards within cultural settings across Nigeria.
Sources:
Punch Newspapers Ozoro horror: Female students flee varsity over fear of fresh attacks
Sahara Reporters
Ozoro Festival Horror: Female Students Flee Delta University Community Over Fear Of Fresh Attacks
Platform Times
Ozoro panic grips community as female students flee
Punch
Horror: Women stripped, sexually assaulted during Delta festival
ICIR Nigeria
Police, Nigerians condemn video of assault, gang rape in Delta
Channel TV
NBA calls sexual assault at Ozoro festival a national disgrace
Tribune Online
NANS kicks over alleged assault at Ozoro festival, demands justice
