{"id":1758,"date":"2026-07-15T17:18:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1758"},"modified":"2026-07-15T17:18:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:18:45","slug":"ovwuvwe-festival-draws-crowds-as-abraka-strengthens-security-measures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1758","title":{"rendered":"Ovwuvwe Festival Draws Crowds as Abraka Strengthens Security Measures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Okorie Jackson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ancient town of Abraka, in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, came alive as indigenes and visitors gathered for the annual Ovwuvwe Festival, one of the major traditional religious celebrations of the Urhobo people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s festival attracted hundreds of participants and spectators, with the Oruarivie Traditional Council introducing stricter security measures to ensure a peaceful celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the event, the Traditional Council announced a ban on the public display and use of cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, warning that anyone found violating the directive would be handed over to security agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The directive, issued on the instruction of His Royal Majesty, Akpomeyoma Majoroh, Ojeta II, the Ovie of Oruarivie Kingdom, was aimed at preserving the cultural significance of the festival while ensuring the safety of residents and visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ovwuvwe Festival is regarded as one of Abraka\u2019s oldest traditional religious celebrations. It brings together sons and daughters of the kingdom to honour their ancestral heritage through traditional rites, cultural displays, music, dance, and communal gatherings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond its spiritual importance, the festival also serves as a platform for unity, reconciliation, and the preservation of Urhobo customs and identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the security measures, residents and visitors expressed different views about the celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firo, a Delta Igbo indigene residing in Lagos, described the festival as a memorable cultural experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is my first time witnessing the Ovwuvwe Festival. I had heard about it before but never imagined it would be this colourful. Seeing people proudly celebrate their culture made me appreciate our traditions even more. I am glad I came,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another visitor, Christabel, said she was initially uncertain about attending a traditional religious festival but later enjoyed the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt first, I was nervous because I didn\u2019t know what to expect. But as the programme continued, I saw families, young people, and elders participating peacefully. The atmosphere became lively and enjoyable, and I was happy I stayed until the end,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, some residents expressed concerns about safety during the celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uwe Isi, a resident of Abraka, said previous incidents associated with some celebrations made him uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t comfortable throughout the festival. Incidents associated with previous celebrations made me worried, so I couldn\u2019t really enjoy myself. I think more should be done to ensure everyone feels safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alero, a pregnant resident, also expressed concerns about safety, saying she was worried about possible disturbances around her area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a pregnant woman, my greatest concern was the safety of my unborn baby. Reports of some youths causing disturbances around my area made me anxious. I appreciate the efforts to improve security, and I hope future festivals will be even safer for everyone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another resident, Josiah, supported the preservation of the festival while calling for continued emphasis on safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe festival is part of who we are as a people, and I don\u2019t think it should stop. However, I support the ban on cutlasses and dangerous weapons. If everyone celebrates peacefully, more people will come out and enjoy the event,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents who attended the festival commended the organisers for maintaining order throughout most of the celebration. Community volunteers and security personnel were stationed at strategic locations to manage crowds and enforce the directives of the Traditional Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival featured colourful traditional attire, rhythmic drumming, cultural dances, and processions that showcased the rich heritage of the Oruarivie Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors moved around the community taking photographs, interacting with indigenes, and learning about the customs associated with one of Delta State\u2019s oldest traditional religious festivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the celebration ended, many participants described the event as a reminder of the importance of preserving indigenous culture while promoting peaceful coexistence. They agreed that stronger security measures would help ensure that future editions continue to attract visitors from across Nigeria and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Okorie Jackson The ancient town of Abraka, in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, came alive as indigenes and visitors gathered for the annual Ovwuvwe Festival, one of the major traditional religious celebrations of the Urhobo people. This year\u2019s festival attracted hundreds of participants and spectators, with the Oruarivie Traditional Council introducing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"iawp_total_views":7,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1,14],"tags":[31,25,230,488],"class_list":["post-1758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abrakametro","category-showbiz","category-trendingnews","tag-abraka","tag-delsu","tag-festival","tag-security-measures"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1758"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1760,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1758\/revisions\/1760"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}