Police arrest three over violent attacks during Oriokpa Masquerade festival in Nsukka, Enugu State.
CP Giwa vows full probe, warns against using cultural events as cover for criminal acts.
Police operatives from the Enugu State Command have arrested three men linked to the violent assault of residents during the Oriokpa Masquerade festival held on June 22, 2025, in Nsukka. The incident, which was captured in a viral video, showed members of the masquerade group attacking members of the public.
Confirming the arrests, the spokesperson of the command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the suspects along with others still on the run used the cultural event as an opportunity to unleash violence on innocent individuals, leaving at least one victim seriously injured and hospitalized.
According to Ndukwe, the suspects initially fled the scene and resisted arrest, but were later tracked down with the support of concerned members of the community. The police are still on the trail of the remaining culprits.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident. He condemned the abuse of cultural celebrations for criminal purposes and reaffirmed that masquerade festivals, while symbolic and sacred, should not be turned into platforms for violence.
CP Giwa further warned that anyone caught using cultural events to cause unrest or harm others would be held accountable. He assured the public that all those involved in the Oriokpa masquerade attacks will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
