Former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has broken his silence over the controversy surrounding the alleged sexual assaults during a recent festival in Ozoro, rejecting claims linking the incident to the cultural practices of the Urhobo and Isoko people.

In a strongly worded statement posted on his Facebook page, Ibori described the reports as shocking and unprecedented, noting that in all his years living in Urhobo land, including his eight-year tenure as governor, he had never encountered such a festival.

“I must confess that this is the first time I am hearing of a festival of this nature,” he stated, adding that his initial reaction was disbelief until he undertook efforts to verify the claims.

The former governor’s intervention came amid growing national outrage over allegations that women were sexually assaulted during the festival in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Council Area of Delta State.

The former governor emphasised that violence, particularly against vulnerable persons, must be unequivocally condemned.

However, he cautioned against attributing the actions of a few individuals to the entire ethnic group.

According to him, preliminary findings from engagements with the traditional institution in Ozoro indicate that the festival in question did not receive the consent of recognised custodians of culture.

“Even the custodian of our tradition, whose authority is required for such festivals, was not consulted,” he stated, arguing that it was both “unfair” and “most unfortunate” to implicate the Isoko and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in the alleged crimes.

The former governor also dismissed claims circulating on social media that the Ekene festival is associated with sexual violence, describing such assertions as false and misleading.