Charles Chukwuma Soludo

.HURIWA seeks govts intervention

Condemnation, yesterday, trailed the recent brazen act of banditry and serial sexual violations associated with armed Fulani terrorists, who invaded Ukwulu Town in Dunukofia Local Council of Anambra State and sexually assaulted a man, his wife, and housemaid.

It was gathered that the unfortunate incident occurred when the victims (identities concealed for security reasons and their mental health) came back home to celebrate the marriage ceremony of their daughter.

In a Save Our Soul (SOS) message addressed to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, one of the victims while recounting their ordeal, said they were abducted by the criminal elements as they were navigating to Ukwulu through Abba Junction after ELDI.

She said they were about to cross the road when a large number of cattle obstructed their movement and immediately, some group of herdsmen came out from their hiding and ordered them into the bush with guns.

Speaking further, she said their hands were tied behind them.They were mercilessly beaten. Even some farmers who saw them could not help the situation.

She and her maid were sexually assaulted in front of her husband countless times without mercy. The husband also was not spared as he was sexually molested.

The victim said: I am a native of Ukwulu, married to Nawgwu. On April 17, we came back to celebrate the marriage of my daughter. As we were driving to Ukwulu through Abba Junction, after ELDI, we saw cows crossing the road and stopped. Immediately, the cattle men blocked the road and brought out guns and ordered us into the bush.

They tied our hands behind us and started to beat us. Some farmers saw us and looked away. They did not help us. In the bush, they sexually abused me and my maid before my husband severally without mercy. The third man tore my husbands trousers and continued to molest him in the anus.

They took our phone and ordered us to start calling our friends and family. They demanded N100 million for each of us or they will kill us. After three days of continuing to abuse us, my maid was sick and vomiting blood.

My husband was dying as his anus was torn to pieces. I cannot stand up properly due to ceaseless sexual abuse. I wished I died in that bush.

My son-in-law gathered N15 million and they directed him to the main market Onitsha to raise cash. They are working with the money changers.

They released us on Saturday and my son-in-law rushed us to hospital at Asaba.

Your Excellency, please save your people by having that bush surrounded by security people. Please chase out these evil cow men from Anambra.

Please stop them from wasting lives. Even as we were leaving, they brought two other boys captive. That bush is their base. Those boys will still be there now.

Please help call Igwe Ukwulu and Nawgwu to take responsibility. I am now a living dead due to Fulani men in my town. Even the villagers cannot react again maybe due to fear.

Reacting, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) stated that the Anambra State administration must never spare any efforts to identify, arrest, prosecute and punish these foreign terrorists who invaded Anambra masquerading as cattle breeders.

HURIWA in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko told Anambra State governor that it is highly embarrassing that armed Fulani herders are still being allowed by his administration to roam around freely in Anambra cities and towns, invading farmlands and unleashing devastating havoc such as serial sexual assaults on vulnerable rural women and girls.

These are acts of criminal abomination just as they are despicable, reprehensible, humiliating and also denying the Anambra women and girls affected by this scourge of invasion of Fulani rapists their constitutionally guaranteed dignity of the human person.

The government of Anambra State must wake up, smell the coffee and implement concrete, proactive, preemptive and efficient security measures to end these cases of sexual violations of the Anambra women and girls by armed herders who are actually disguised armed bandits.

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