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On Monday, more than 100 women hailing from the Ogwuaniocha community in Anambra State’s Ogbaru Local Government Area took to the streets of Onitsha and its surroundings in a protest against the “persistent killings, abductions, and devastation of their husbands and sons” by rival groups within their community.
Carrying placards bearing a variety of messages, the women made their way through the community, asserting that the turmoil in their midst had its origins in a dispute over the kingship.
Their cry for help was addressed to the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, with a request for his intervention to alleviate their current hardship.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, their leader, Augustina Ejiofor, said, ‘My husband, Sunday Ejiofor, was abducted by some youths when we went to sympathise with a relation that was bitten by a snake.’
‘Also my husband’s brother was arrested by the same youths and is now at Awkuzu SARS. They did not commit any offence. The problem in the community is lgweship/oil revenue derivation. Our monarch, Igwe Okwudili Ogana, is now in detention, they started to attack him when he was installed as our monarch.’
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‘We are pleading for the release of our abducted husbands and for them to stop killing our sons and destroying our property, we ran to camps where we have stayed for about three years without help and they are still coming to abduct us there daily.’
Also contributing, the wife of the rival traditional ruler of the community, Ebele Ogana, said, ‘They started attacking my husband after his installation. The government should come to our rescue because the intimidation is much.’
‘I urge Governor Soludo to prevail on the youth to release the husbands of those women and stop attacking us and killing our sons.’
In her reaction, ljeoma Elumeziegbo, whose husband, including her son-in-law was also abducted said she had not set her eyes on them since they were abducted a few weeks ago.
Elumeziegbo said, ‘At a point, our President-General, and the warring factions agreed that all abducted people should be released but the youth did not release our husbands and others they are holding till today.’
Njideka Anene, a mother who tragically lost her son Uzodinma, made a heartfelt plea to Governor Soludo, urging him to come to the aid of the people. She revealed that her 34-year-old son met his demise in the camp during an incursion by the pillar youths.
Roughly two weeks ago, a separate group of women from the Ogwuaniocha community had taken part in a protest. Their primary concerns were insecurity, homicides, and abductions, and they laid the blame on another faction, suggesting that these actions were connected to their ambitions to dominate the community’s resources.
When reached by phone, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the state police spokesman, confirmed that the police were cognizant of the security concerns in Ogwuaniocha and were actively addressing the situation.
