Delta rape: Female students flee varsity over fear of fresh attacks

Delta map

Following the assault of several women and female students during a traditional festival in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, panic has gripped the community, with many students reportedly fleeing over fears of possible fresh attacks.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the development comes in the aftermath of the controversial ‘Alue-Do’ festival, during which viral videos showed young women being chased, stripped and assaulted by groups of youths, sparking nationwide outrage.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a student leader in the community disclosed that many female students, still traumatised by the incident, had begun leaving to avoid being caught in further violence.

“Most of the female students in the community are scared, especially when they were told that the festival is meant to last for seven days. Many left early this morning, and others were still seen leaving up to this evening,” the source said.

He noted that the atmosphere in the community remained tense, with growing anxiety among residents and students alike, particularly as uncertainty persists over the duration of the festival and the likelihood of a recurrence.

The student leader also alleged that some university students were among those who molested women during the festival.

He described the development as “deeply troubling,” noting that it was not only indigenes who participated in the assault.

“It is not only the indigenes who participated in the molestation. Some students also took part in it, and that is the most painful part. It speaks to the level of decadence in our society, the education system and human behaviour as a whole,” he said.

The student leader insisted that all those involved should be treated as “common criminals,” regardless of their status, and called for their arrest and prosecution.