Over 1000 women from the communities of Uturu, Isiukwuato LGA of Abia State on Saturday, embarked on a protest against incessant kidnappings in their localities. They accused Fulani bandits of terrorising the university community through kidnappings, rape, ransom taking, armed robbery and other evil activities.
Marching from Uturu to Okigwe town, they cried out that alleged Fulani bandits have taken over their lands and bushes. To end the menace, the Uturu women demanded immediate closure of Lokpanta cattle market, Umuchieze in Umunneochi LGA of Abia State. The women who held placards, fresh leafs and singing protest songs, decried high level of criminality which they said, are being perpetrated by Fulani bandits who take off from Lokpanta cattle market and other surrounding bushes. The protesters lamented that their lands, farms, roads etc have been turned to crime zone by the criminals, pointing out that Ihube junction before Abia State University and other flashpoints along Okigwe- Uturu-Afikpo road have become danger zones where the Fulani bandits allegedly carry out their activities. The women who quaried the relevance of security agencies along the road, regretted that no suspect has been shot, arrested or paraded by the security agencies .
They added that Ihube junction of the Okigwe- ABSU road is not far from Army and Police checkpoints and wondered why the kidnappers still reign supreme in Uturu and environs, despite assurances by Abia State government and security heads of security agencies.
The women called on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to set up a special security committee on Isiukwuato LGA to arrest the worsening security crises in Uturu and parts of Isiukwuato LGA. According to them, economic activities in Uturu has been affected grossly by high level of crimes as students, lecturrers, non-academic staff and even natives of Uturu are now afraid to operate on the deadly Uturu to Okigwe- road for the fear of the bandits. A special prayer session was also held at Ihube junction of Okigwe- Uturu road, popularly known as boundary, to seek the intervention of God to their plight.
Some of the women like Mrs Cherechi Obioma, Ndidi Uzokwe, Sandra Azubuike Onomma made it clear that the situation in Uturu is worse than in Umunneochi and urged Governor Ikpeazu to swing into action to save them. “So far, we are not impressed by his government’s slow response to these evil happening in our lands.”, said one of the women, Mrs Cherechi Obioma.
