From Lawrence Chudi, Awka
Women numbering over 100 staged a protest at the Nsugbe community in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, to press home their demand for justice, following the gruesome murder of youths of their community.
Two youths, Chukwurah Nweze and Chigozie Anyansi, were killed on November 22, in a violence that ensued between youths of both communities, which also resulted in gunshot injuries to five Umueri youths.
However, yesterday, the women of Nsugbe, under the aegis of Umuada Nsugbe, took to the streets to show solidarity with the families of two of their youths murdered by youths of their neighbouring Umueri community.
The protesters, including the aged and the young, converged in their numbers, on the Monastery Junction, Ugwu-Enugwu, the exact spot where the youths were slain, to demonstrate their anger over the unfortunate incident.
The women dressed in black bore placards with various inscriptions such as: “Say no to injustice”; “Those pursuing Nsugbe should be warned”; “Enough is enough, peace is the option”; “Nsugbe is a peace loving community”; “We are known for peace, not war”, and “Government intervene in our matter”, among others.
Chanting protest songs, the women lit candles and went in procession, first to Ilo Amagu Centre before proceeding to St. John Catholic Church, Nsugbe, where they said prayers for the repose of the souls of the deceased and God’s intervention in the matter.
Speaking after the protest, the Convener, Umuada Nsugbe, Hon. Eucharia Chinyere Attah, explained they embarked on the protest because they were in agony over the death of their two sons. She said the Nsugbe were not known for war and as such are praying God for intervention and to the government for justice.
“We are praying to God to intervene in our plight. The termination of these two young men is a crime to many. We, Nsugbe Umuada, are asking the government to give the parents of these slain youths justice. Let all who love peace join their voices to call on the appropriate authorities to ensure that our people get justice, and that the death of these young men is not in vain,” she said.
Hon. Attah prayed that the death of the young men would bring about peace for the Nsugbe community and wreak vengeance on all enemies of the community.
She said: “They have boasted that they are more powerful than us because they know that we are not warriors. We are not fighters, we are a peace-loving community and the most civil in this entire area. Maybe, that’s why they are treating us like this.”
On her part, the President General, Women Wing of Nsugbe Development Union (NDU), Lady Ngozi Emechetta, regretted that the crisis between Nsugbe and Umueri, leading to the killing of their children, ought not to have been as they are like brothers and sisters.
She went down memory lane to recall how Nsugbe provided the people of Umueri shelter and succour when they were attacked by a neighbouring community, expressing regret that they would repay them with bloodshed.
“Most of us, our mothers are from Umueri, same as so many of them. Through mixed marriage, we are now interwoven. Even if it is a land issue, everyone should come to the table and iron it out because, if we continue to fight, we may get to the point where we would be killing ourselves. The person that even killed our sons is married to one of our daughters. He is our in-law! So, you see why we are insisting that our neighbours should borrow a leaf from Nsugbe and maintain peace,” she said.
She said by the protest, the Umuada Nsugbe were also appealing to their youths to be calm and allow peace to reign.
“With time, everything will come to normal, as long as the government intervenes and does the needful.”