Hundreds of women in the troubled Apa Local Government Area of Benue State on Tuesday took to the streets to protest the incessant killings in their communities.
The women, who thronged the major road in Ugbokpo, the headquarters of Apa LGA, expressed anguish over the escalating attacks.
Many lamented being rendered widows, with countless children left orphaned.
In recent times, communities such as Ijaha Ikobi, Edikwu-Ankpali, and Odugbo have experienced multiple attacks, leading to the deaths of numerous residents.
Just last Sunday, 25 people were reportedly killed in the area.
Protesting under the banner of “Voice of the Hopeless Women,” members of the group brandished a letter expressing their pain over what they described as relentless and targeted assaults on their families, homes, and farmlands.
The letter read in part, “We have been triggered by their entrance into our farms, homes, and rooms to kill and destroy our children, husbands, and dear loved ones, including fellow women.
“Today, our children can hardly go to school, our lives are in danger, and our future is in shambles.”
The women wielded placards with inscriptions such as, “Stop killing our men,” “We are now widows, not by choice,” and “Enough is enough.”
They also called on the Federal Government to intervene and end the rampant killings in the state.
Speaking during the protest, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the local government and a legal practitioner, Ada Ocholi, described the protest as “peaceful and timely, given the plight of innocent residents in the hands of suspected armed herders.”
When contacted, the Chairman of Apa Local Government, Adams Ocheiga, declined to comment.
“Sorry, I’m not in the mood to talk to journalists now. “Besides, I’m not in Apa at the moment, so I cannot confirm if there is any protest going on,” he said.
