Hundreds of women in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State staged a protest on Tuesday, expressing anguish over the escalating attacks in their communities that have left many widowed and children orphaned.
The demonstrators, marching under the banner of “Voice of the Hopeless Women,” blocked major roads in Ugbokpo, the council headquarters, lamenting the relentless violence that has plagued communities such as Ijaha Ikobi, Edikwu-Ankpali, and Odugbo.
The protest follows a recent attack last Sunday that claimed 25 lives in the area. The women carried placards with messages including “Stop killing our men,” “We are now widows, not by choice,” and “Enough is enough.”
In a letter presented during the protest, the group detailed their suffering: “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 called on the Federal Government to intervene and stop the killings, which they attributed to suspected armed herders.
An All Progressives Congress chieftain and legal practitioner in the area, Ada Ocholi, described the protest as “peaceful and timely, given the plight of innocent residents in the hands of suspected armed herders.”
When contacted for comment, Apa Local Government Chairman Adams Ocheiga declined to speak, stating: “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.”
