Over 100 women from the Ogwuaniocha community in Anambra State took to the streets on Monday, protesting against the ongoing “incessant killings, abductions, and destruction of their husbands and sons” by rival groups in their community.
Carrying placards with various messages, the women marched through Onitsha and its surroundings, asserting that the turmoil in their community originated from a dispute over kingship.
They called upon Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene and bring an end to their suffering.
Augustina Ejiofor, speaking on behalf of the protesters, revealed, “My husband, Sunday Ejiofor, was abducted by some youths when we went to sympathize with a relative who had been bitten by a snake. Also, my husband’s brother was arrested by the same youths and is now detained at Awkuzu SARS. They haven’t committed any offense. The root of the community problem is kingship and oil revenue derivation. Our monarch, Igwe Okwudili Ogana, was attacked upon his installation as our king.”
She continued, “We implore the release of our abducted husbands and an end to the killing of our sons and the destruction of our property. We’ve sought refuge in camps for about three years without assistance, and they continue to abduct us there daily.”
Ebele Ogana, the wife of the rival traditional ruler of the community, added, “They began to target my husband after his installation. The government should come to our rescue because the intimidation is escalating. I urge Governor Soludo to mediate with the youth to release the women’s husbands and stop the attacks and killings.”
Ijeoma Elumeziegbo, whose husband and son-in-law were abducted a few weeks ago, expressed her anguish, saying, “I haven’t seen them since they were abducted. At one point, our President-General and the warring factions agreed to release all the abducted individuals, but the youth have yet to release our husbands and others.”
Njideka Anene, who mourned the loss of her son, Uzodinma, appealed to Governor Soludo for help, revealing that her 34-year-old son was killed when pillar youths stormed their camp.
Notably, another group of women from the Ogwuaniocha community protested against insecurity, killings, and abductions approximately two weeks ago, accusing a rival faction of orchestrating these acts in a bid to control the community’s resources.
When reached for comment, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed awareness of the security issues in Ogwuaniocha and assured that the police were actively addressing the situation.