Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Women of Nimo community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State Wednesday protested naked over the alleged sale of lands by some leaders of the community.
The women, baring their bodies in a traditional act of extreme dissent, accused the town’s leadership of illegally selling communal lands and engaging in various other illegalities that have plunged the community into crisis.
The protest, which drew significant attention, was sparked by long-standing grievances over the alleged unauthorised sale of ancestral farmlands by the community leaders.
The women, armed with placards and chanting songs of resistance, demanded immediate intervention from Governor Chukwuma Soludo to address what they described as a blatant abuse of power and a threat to their livelihoods.
One of the protesters, Mrs. Ngozi Okochi, who spoke on behalf of the group, lamented the loss of their farmlands, which she described as a primary source of sustenance for most families.
“Our ancestral lands are being sold out indiscriminately without our notice. We no longer go to farm because there is no more land to farm. They want to force us into prostitution,” she cried out.
“They have declared a sit-at-home in the Nimo community because we now wake up every day and stay idle at home without any engagement. Farming is our major source of livelihood, and now they have deprived us of that opportunity.”
The women’s grievances, as outlined in a letter addressed to Governor Soludo, detailed a litany of accusations against the town’s leadership. They alleged that the traditional ruler, in collusion with the President-General of the Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU), and members of the royal cabinet, had been selling off communal lands without the consent of the community.
The letter further claimed that the actions had provoked unrest among the youths, whose families depend on the lands for survival, and had escalated tension since January 2023.
“We are here to register our vulnerable condition before the governor to help us address this problem. We want peace in Nimo community,” Mrs. Okochi added, echoing the sentiments of the protesters who bore placards with inscriptions such as “Soludo, Nimo needs your help, please save us,” “All manner of impunities must stop in Nimo,” and “Igwe Maxi Ike Oliobi is bastardising Nimo culture and traditions.”
Addressing the protesters, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, in the company of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne assured the women that the state government would take swift action to remedy the situation.
“We will call the principal actors in this matter to a round table so that a lasting solution will be found,” he added, appealing for calm as the government steps in to mediate.
