Police in Nigeria say 15 people have been arrested following allegations of sexual assault at a community festival in the southern Delta state. Videos circulated online showing young men openly attacking women who were on their own. The clips sparked widespread anger, leading to the hashtag #StopRapingWomen to trend on social media, and renewed calls for accountability over gender-based violence. Delta state police have rejected claims circulating online that the Alue-Do festival in Ozoro was a “rape festival”. Local spokesperson Bright Edafe told Channels TV on Monday that no formal report of rape had been made in connection with the festival. The videos, taken during the Alue-Do fertility festival in the city of Ozoro, show groups of young men chasing, stripping, grabbing and assaulting women in public spaces, in some cases while people are filming. The police spokesman described the scenes as “alarming, disgusting and embarrassing” and said they had arrested several suspects identified from the videos and transferred them to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Edafe told Channels: “We have spoken to four girls and all of them said nobody raped them.” Among those detained is a community leader widely named as the organiser of the event. The police say investigations are continuing. Some witnesses, activists and residents say women were warned not to go out during parts of the festival, and that those seen outside were deliberately targeted. This has raised concerns that sexual violence may have been organised or tolerated under the cover of tradition. Rights groups say that even if it is not clear whether anyone was raped, the documented acts – including forced stripping, grabbing and public humiliation -constitute serious gender-based violence under Nigerian law. The King of Ozoro has rejected suggestions that the Alue-Do festival condones sexual assault, describing it as a fertility rite that was “misinterpreted and abused by some youths”. Traditional leaders also say that no rape occurred. They admit that two women were harassed, but stressing that such acts are criminal, not cultural. The Delta state government has backed this view, adding that no recognised festival in the state permits sexual assault and that any violence should be treated strictly as a crime. Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who has roots in Delta state, condemned the alleged assaults and urged security agencies to prosecute all offenders. In a signed statement, she said no culture justified violating women and girls, praised police for recent arrests, and encouraged victims to seek medical and psychological support.
Written by BBC on March 23, 2026
Former Kenyan Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju has resurfaced a day after his reported disappearance, which led to fears he may have been abducted.
Speaking to local Citizen TV station on Monday afternoon, he said he had gone into hiding after being followed by an unmarked vehicle.
He said that on realising he was being trailed, he had branched off onto a road where it would be more difficult to follow him. Once he had shaken off the other vehicle, he then abandoned his car which they would be looking for.
“My family is very traumatised… and I consider myself blessed because there are many Kenyans in unmarked graves,” he said, thanking Kenyans and opposition politicians who had stood by him.
He mentioned other Kenyans who had been abducted or killed in the past, explaining that this was why he had not sought police help and instead went into hiding.
Earlier, the police had said they were investigating his reported disappearance and appealed to the public for information.
His family had said the ex-minister and his driver had gone missing as they were on their way to an evening radio interview on Saturday.
Police said his vehicle was found abandoned with its hazard lights on along a road in Karen, an upmarket suburb of the capital, Nairobi. They said they could not reach him as his phone was switched off.
The former minister, who served in several government roles, has been embroiled in a long-running legal battle contesting the auction and takeover of his properties in Nairobi over an unsettled bank loan.
He recently alleged that dozens of police officers had raided his property in Karen, ejected his staff and security guards and taken control of the business premises.
He claimed that powerful officials were behind attempts to seize his property. The government has not commented on the allegations.
The court dispute involves lenders seeking to recover debts of over $15m (£11m) tied to properties owned by Tuju’s company, Dari Limited. He has lodged multiple unsuccessful legal challenges to stop the auction, and recently obtained orders barring the transfer of the property until his latest application is heard.
On Sunday, Tuju’s lawyer Paul Nyamodi told local media that prior to his disappearance, the ex-minister had filed a report to the police about being trailed by an unmarked vehicle.
Tuju’s disappearance prompted allegations by prominent opposition figures that the ex-minister may have been abducted.
“We thank God that our brother is alive and well,” opposition politician Kalonzo Musyoka said on Monday.
“The truth of the matter is that there is an abduction squad in town.
“Let everybody calm down and adhere to the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of rule,” he added.
