The Delta state police command’s public relations officer, Bright Edafe, has defended his social media remark directed at activist Rinu Oduala, claiming it was misinterpreted and “sexualised”.

Edafe’s comment followed Oduala’s criticism of police response to viral videos showing women allegedly assaulted at an Ozoro festival in Delta.

The PPRO initially condemned the Ozoro incident, calling it “alarming, disgusting, and embarrassing,” and stated that the police were investigating.

Oduala criticised this response as inadequate, saying Edafe was slow to act.

Edafe responded with the remark, “Whenever I issue a statement, it turns you on. Why, if I may ask?”, which sparked widespread criticism online.

Defending his tweet in a recent interview on News Central, he insisted his statement wasn’t meant to be sexual, saying Oduala gave it a sexual interpretation.

“It is well, but what worries me is that nobody is talking about what Rinu said to me, and it’s very sad because the police, too, are human beings. Rinu’s statement to me was very clear. It was a very clear, insulting statement. My statement was not insulting. My statement was only sexualised by Rinu.

"Nobody is talking to her. Everybody is talking to me, and it’s very, very sad because, as I said, the police, too, are human beings. It was Rinu who sexualised my statement. I never sexualised that statement,” he said.

Edafe alleged Oduala insulted him, and public criticism has been unfair.

“However, the fact that she insulted me and nobody is talking to her at all is actually very sad,” he added.

He maintained his original post was innocuous, saying the sexual interpretation was subjective and Oduala’s own perspective.

“I never made a sexual statement to her. The word is there for all to see what it means. If she sexualises it or she gives it her own meaning, well, she has the right to her own opinion,” he said.

According to him, he deleted the tweet due to public reaction, not admitting wrongdoing.

“Obviously, we hold allegiance to Nigerians. If Nigerians believe that the statement was out of line, there’s nobody who cannot come back to them and say, okay, I think I need to take it down and that was why I did it. But for Rinu, I don’t owe her any explanation. She insulted me, and she should also be asked questions,” he said. (The Nation)