Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has denounced the reported sexual violence against women during the controversial ‘Alue-Do’ festival in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, describing the incident as evidence of Nigeria’s distorted priorities.
In a statement released on Saturday titled Channelling Our Women to Critical Areas of Development, Obi criticised the event, calling it a distraction from more urgent national concerns, particularly the need to empower women, who make up more than half of the country’s population.
“While the rest of the nations of the world are investing in critical areas of development such as human capital, we lag behind.
“Instead of ensuring that our women—the vital segment of our population—are educated and meaningfully integrated into leadership and management structures, where they have consistently proven to contribute significantly to development, we fall short.
This is evident in countries like the Scandinavian nations and even in developing economies. In Indonesia, for instance, women own over 50% of SMEs, which provide about 98% of jobs.
“Similarly, in Bangladesh, women make up about 60% of the workforce in the garment industry, the country’s largest export sector, generating about $50 billion—far more than what Nigeria earns annually from crude oil exports,” Obi said.
His remarks follow the circulation of disturbing videos online showing young women being pursued, stripped, and assaulted in public during the festival on Thursday, March 19—an incident that has triggered widespread condemnation nationwide.
Obi argued that instead of drawing lessons from countries that prioritise women’s inclusion in economic development, Nigeria continues to focus on activities that undermine its progress.
“Rather than emulating these nations by investing in our women—and harnessing their productivity—our focus drifts toward trivialities such as the Ozoro festival, a development that reflects poorly on our national priorities.
“This is a profound misplacement of values. Greater effort should be directed toward meaningful development, including policies and initiatives that empower women and integrate them into the economic mainstream,” Obi added.
The former Anambra State governor stressed that meaningful investment in women could significantly reshape the nation’s future.
“If we redirect our priorities, invest in our people, and harness the potential of our women in critical sectors, we can rebuild our nation on a foundation of productivity and inclusion—transforming from a now disgraced country into one of pride. With the right priorities and actions.”
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Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command confirmed that several individuals have been taken into custody over the incident, including a community leader, Omorede Sunday, and four others believed to be organisers of the festival.
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, the suspects have been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department on the orders of the Commissioner of Police.
“The community head and chief organiser of the event and four other suspects have been arrested. The Commissioner of Police has ordered their transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department.”
Also reacting, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) condemned the acts, describing them as “barbaric” and a clear violation of human rights, while pledging to support efforts aimed at securing justice for the victims and preventing a recurrence.