Anambra Women Protest Rape, Murder Of 72-year-old Woman

Commercial activities were paralysed in Umunze community in Orumba South local government area of Anambra State as hundreds of women took to the streets and markets in the area to protest the murder of a 72-year-old woman, Mrs Charity Okoli.

Okoli was suspected to be a victim of ritualists. Her breasts, finger, tongue and private part were removed after being raped by three suspected ritualists in her home in the neighbouring Ezira in the same Orumba-South local government area last week.

LEADERSHIP learnt that luck, however, ran out of one of the ritualists, who under the influence of hard drugs, could not escape from security operatives when the latter stormed his house and he only managed to hide under his bed but was arrested.

The spokesman of the police in the state, deputy superintendent of police, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said the suspect confessed to the crime adding that they are a gang of five that carried out the crime and that they reside at the neighbouring Ezira, but, that the other suspects are now at large.

The angry women who staged a protest carrying green leaves and placards demanded the exit of all Abakaliki Indigenes of Ebonyi State from Umunze.

The women alleged that those who killed Mrs Okoli after raping and harvesting her sensitive organs including her private part, tongue and two nipples apparently for money making rituals are Abakaliki natives.

One of the suspects who was arrested is currently being detained at the facilities of the State  Criminal Investigative Department (SCID) of the Anambra State Police Command in Awka while the other suspects are on the run.

The angry women went 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.

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 Abakaliki 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 that 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 Abakaliki 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 according to the number of heads of the oil palm nuts per tree.”