IG Directs Police to Get to Root of GBV in Delta Community

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

The reported ugly incident involving the physical and sexual assault on young women during a controversial traditional festival in Isoko community of Delta State has caught the attention of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, who has promptly ordered full investigation into the incident. 

The IG was said to have expressed deep concern about the incident few days ago at the university town and administrative headquarters of Osoko North Local Government Area, which prompted widespread outrage after videos of the assault went viral.

Accordingly, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Aina Adesola, yesterday personally went down to Ozoro where he met and held consultations with different stakeholders, including traditional, community and student leaders.

In company with CP Adesola were members of the Delta State Police Command’s management team, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, and other senior officers.

The command’s spokesman, Mr Bright Edafe, a superintendent of police (SP), in a statement yestderday, described the Adesola’s mission in Ozoro as “a strategic fact-finding and confidence-building visit.”

During the occasion, the police commissioner paid a courtesy call on the traditional ruler of Ozoro Kingdom, HRM Anthony Uvietobore Ogbogbo, Ibuka I, where he briefed the monarch on the progress of the ongoing investigation and underscored the command’s zero-tolerance for all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.

The state police commissioner also engaged key stakeholders, including the Chairman of Isoko North, Mr Godwin Ogorugba, the President-General of Ozoro Community, Chief Berkley Asiafa, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zonal Coordinator (South-South), Mr Victor Ogechukwu, and the SUG President, Southern Delta University Ozoro, Precious Oribelua.

Nonetheless, CP Adesola also had interaction with some of the victims of the gender-based violence in Ozoro community.

The Delta State commissioner of police took pains to intimate the stakeholders and local leaders the expectation of tje I-G concerning the matter, and the efforts the command was making to get to the root of the disturbing incident, which he lamented constituted embarrassment not only to the people of Ozoro and Isoko North but also to Deltans and Nigerians in general, Edafe revealed. 

He further assured residents, particularly students, that proactive measures are being strengthened to prevent a recurrence across the State, and commended the students for their restraint and maturity in adopting dialogue over protest.

While reiterating the police’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of Deltans, Adesola assured that the state police command maintains a functional system for handling cases of sexual and gender-based violence, encouraging victims to take advantage of the facility with assurance of confidentiality.

The Delta State Government in a statement at the weekend by the State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, condemned the reported harassment and sexual assault of young ladies in the community under the guise of traditional festival.

The state government frowns at any act that violates the dignity and rights of women, noting that cultural celebrations must never be used as a cover for criminality, he stated. 

Aniagwu said: “The Delta State Government strongly condemns the harassment of ladies and the reported cases of rape during the Ozoro Festival. Such barbaric acts are totally unacceptable and have no place in our society.

“We are calling on the police and other security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of these heinous acts and bring them to justice. No individual or group should be allowed to hide under the guise of a festival to perpetrate criminal activities.”

At least 15 persons from Ozoro community have been arrested by the police in connection with the incident since the police moved into the area to unravel the masterminds of the gender-based violence targeting girls and women during a spurious festival last week.