Former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, has strongly refuted reports of an alleged “rape festival” in Ozoro, describing the claims as false, damaging, and a grave misrepresentation of the cultural values of the Urhobo and Isoko people.
In a rare public intervention, Ibori, on his verified Facebook page, said he was compelled to speak due to the seriousness of the allegations, noting that in his lifetime and throughout his eight-year tenure as governor, he had never encountered or heard of any such festival.
Expressing shock over the reports, the former governor revealed that he immediately sought to verify the claims upon being alerted, engaging relevant stakeholders including the traditional institution in Ozoro.
According to him, findings indicated that no such festival was sanctioned, and crucially, the appropriate traditional authorities were not consulted.
He cautioned against the blanket profiling of entire ethnic groups, stressing that it was both unfair and dangerous to link the alleged incident to the broader Urhobo and Isoko communities.
Ibori particularly faulted narratives that attempted to associate established cultural festivals, including the Ekene festival, with acts of sexual violence, describing such assertions as “totally untrue.”
While condemning any form of violence against women and vulnerable persons, he emphasized that traditional festivals in the region are deeply rooted in history, spirituality, and moral values, and are not platforms for criminality or abuse.
Ibori welcomed the intervention of security agencies, urging a thorough investigation to uncover the facts and dispel misinformation.
He maintained that there is no cultural basis for any so-called “rape festival” among the Urhobo and Isoko people.
The former governor further disclosed plans to collaborate with the university authorities and the Ozoro traditional institution to engage local youth, warning that any actions capable of undermining societal values and the dignity of women would not be tolerated.
His intervention comes amid growing public outrage and widespread debate on social media over the alleged incident, with calls intensifying for clarity, justice, and the protection of community reputations.
Read the full post below 👇
THE OZORO FESTIVAL INCIDENT: AN URHOBO-ISOKO PERSPECTIVE
*BY CHIEF JAMES IBORI*
I have generally refrained from intervening in policy or public matters. However, this issue is far too serious to ignore. I speak from a position of personal experience, having lived my entire life in Urhobo Land, including my eight-year tenure as Governor of Delta State. I must confess that this is the first time I am hearing of a festival of this nature.
You can imagine my shock when I was contacted about this matter two days ago. My initial reaction was, “This cannot be true, but let me verify and revert.” Every right-thinking person must condemn violence in any form, especially when the victim is a defenseless person.
I personally made several efforts to ascertain the veracity of the social media reports and obtained an account from the traditional institution in Ozoro. From the facts available to me, even the custodian of our tradition whose authority is required for such festivals was not consulted. It is therefore unfair to ascribe such violence to the entire Isoko people, and most unfortunate that the Urhobo people have also been implicated.
One commentator even made a definitive pronouncement implicating the Ekene festival in orgies unleashed on girls and women. This is totally untrue. Festivals among Urhobo and Isoko people, apart from being celebratory, are woven around historical and spiritual motifs. They memorialize past events, reinforce belief systems, and are typically anchored in an essence sustained by strong moral values.
What happened is condemnable, and it is commendable that security agencies have now intervened to unravel what really transpired. It is my hope that this investigation will set the record straight: there is no “rape festival” among Urhobo and Isoko people.
Furthermore, I will work with the VC of the University and the Ozoro traditional institution to engage the youth so that this serves as a clear signal that actions that degenerate our values, our cultural norms and the role of women in our society will not be tolerated.
