Maduako Igbokwe l Wednesday, March 15, 2023
LAGOS, Nigeria – Businesses, markets and other economic activities were on Tuesday grounded as over four thousand aggrieved women from Umunze town in Orumba South local government area of Anambr State protest against the gruesome murder of 72 year old Mrs. Charity Okolie by a three man gang alleged to be Indigenes of Abakiliki, Ebonyi state.
The peaceful protesters who armed themselves with green leaves and placards also demanded for mass exit of all Abakiliki Indigenes out of Umunze town for the atrocious and condemnable killing Mrs. Charity who was rapped and murdered two weeks ago after the suspect harvested her private part, tongue and nipples of her breasts for money making rituals.
Recall that the three man gang who are Indigenes of Abakiliki in Ebonyi state but resident in Umunze had swooped on the unsuspecting woman, raped her after which they harvested the vital organs which they sent to a yet to be identified native doctor in a nearby community in order to make quick wealth before nemesis caught up with the prime suspect.
The prime suspect was said to have been arrested by youths in collaboration with team of the community’s vigilante outfit as he was fast asleep under the deceased’s bed due to influence of hard drugs and was beaten to stupor by his captors.
Already, the prime suspect is cooling off his heels at the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID) of the Anambra’ State Police Command in Awka while two other are on the run.
The women took their complaints to the Umunze Area police command headquarters, the palace of His Royal Highness, Igwe Promise N. Eze, the Abilikete 11 of Umunze, and the Transition Committee Chairman of the local government Hon Neville Uchendu as well as other relevant bodies.
They expressed bitterness over the unbearable and hostile activities of Abakiliki Indigenes in the area who according to them allegedly indulge in many crimes including charging outrageous bills for manual labour, rape of young girls and other heinous crimes.
The women further called on the authorities to Wade into the dangerous and unbecoming attitude of their guests as they have outlived their usefulness and must therefore leave for peace to return in the area.
Spokesperson and President of the Women in the area, Mrs. Enekwechi Bridget said “The entire Umunze resolved to come together today for a peaceful protest because Abakiliki people resident in our community raped one of us in Ubaha village and cut off her tongue, one of her fingers, two nipples of her breasts and her private part. So, that’s why we are here to complain to the Transition Committee Chairman of the local government area so he can take our report to Awka the state capital for necessary action.”
She stated that, “We are demanding for justice and that the suspects should face the full weight of law because women are not supposed to face such torture and suffering in the hands of heartless criminal elements, Sadly, these Abakiliki people resident amongst us have been having secret meetings against us despite our hospitality towards them. They charge us as high as N5, 000 to cultivate a seed of yam for us and N200 to cut down per head of ripped oil palm and they charge us acording to the number of heads of the oil palm nuts per tree.”
“Besides, of you hire them for work, they will not do the work but they will leave the workplace and begin to demand for money for work not done even as they threaten to kill the person who fails to pay them as agreed. At times they seize farmlands belonging to our people to the extent of laying ownership of such land after planting and harvesting their crops.
The President General of the Umunze Progressives Union, Mr. Hippolitus Uchechukwu Olua who addressed the women commended them for their peaceful conduct and urged them to go about their protest in peace as their complaints would be given prompt attention by the police and other relevant authorities.
He told newsmen that,”Our relationship with Abakiliki people in Umunze is becoming a very bad one. It’s not favouring us anymore because the way and manner they commit crimes in Umunze that we have tolerated for a while, is too much.”
“Of recent our wife, Mrs. Charity Okolie who was butchered while alive by Abakiliki men in a gruesome way but we said no as a community; while we have accomodated these people as our brothers from Abakiliki,they are killing our people,they are harrassing our women and raping them in their farmlands. They are increasing labour costs at will; they wake up every morning and change the cost of labour at their dictates but we said no. So, our women are aggrieved, they are not happy and that’s why they are protesting.”
“What they said Abakiliki people should leave our community is not far from the truth. But we will come back as law abiding community and discuss it; there’s a diplomatic way of handling this kind of issue. We are going to look into it to ensure that justice is served,” he said.
On his part the traditional ruler of Umunze Community, HRH Igwe Promise N. Abilikete II in his reaction described the incident as sad and shocking to every resident of the community.
He noted that the victim died due to loss of blood which made her to be unconscious after she was rushed to the hospital in Amawbia where she later died, a development that angered everybody.
The monarch however urged the people of area to remain calm as police and leaders of the community are working round the clock to ensure that justice is done at the end of the day.
“I have told the PPO who’s closest to us here that the suspect must be charged to court for murder and he has assured me that the matter would not be swept under the carpet. I have instructed the youths to exercise restraint pending the outcome of the case.”
Igwe Abilikete II also threw his weight behind the protesting women for the aggressors to leave the community for peace to reign, pointing out that the worst of the crimes being committed by the Abakiliki residents of the town is raping of young girls and the latest killing of the innocent woman.
He appealed to Indigenes and residents of the area to strive to live peace with each other and to obey the laws of the land, the state and the country at large.
He added that plans were on to make the Abakiliki Indigenes residents in the area to sign social contract to be of good conduct or they leave the community to avert a reoccurrence of the dastard act in future.
The Police Police Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga when contacted confirmed that one suspect had been arrested in connection with the crime and that he has also confessed to the crime.
