Following a shocking revelation made by an Anambra woman on social media, of her ugly experience in the hands of herdsmen who kidnapped her, her husband, and their maid, netizens have called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to swing into action and address the unabated kidnapping and armed robbery cases along the route.
The woman, who foreclosed her identity, narrated how the herdsmen raped her and her maid countless times, as well as sodomized her husband recklessly.
In an open letter she addressed to Governor Soludo, the woman said the herders operating around bushes in the Ukwulu Community in the Dunukofia Council Area of the state, kidnapped her, her husband, and their maid on their way to a wedding ceremony in the state.
According to her, the herders repeatedly raped them inside a bush while also demanding a whopping ransom of three hundred million naira for their release.
“I am a native of Ukwulu, married to Nawgwu.
“On the 17th of April, 2024, 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 cattlemen blocked the road, brought out guns, and ordered us into the bush.
“They tied our hands behind us. They started beating us. Some farmers saw us and looked away. They did not help us.
“In the bush, they raped me and my maid before my husband every time without mercy.
“The third man tore my husband’s trousers and continued to rape him in the anus.
“They took our phone and ordered us to start calling our friends and family.
“They demanded 100 million naira for each of us or they would kill us.
“After 3 days that they continuously raped us, my maid was sick and started vomiting blood.
“My husband is dying as his anus is torn to pieces. I cannot stand up properly, due to continuous rape. I wish I died in that bush.
“My son-in-law gathered 15 million and they directed him to Main Market, Onitsha to buy cash.
“It is obvious the Fulani people are working with the money changers.
“They released us on Saturday and my son-in-law rushed us to a hospital at Asaba,” she recounted.
The victim called for the urgent intervention of the State Governor and security agencies in the state, over the plight of users of the road.
“Your Excellency, please save your people by having that bush surrounded by security people.
“Please chase out these evil cowmen from Anambra. Please stop them from wasting lives.
“Even as we are leaving, they brought two other male captives. 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 in my town. Even the villagers cannot react again maybe due to fear,” she pleaded.
In a reaction, a netizen, Jude Mazi said the Ukwulu-Nawgu route has become a nightmare to road users, resulting in many motorists avoiding it completely.
“The road is a ghost of itself because people no longer use it because of these kinds of reports.
“The government should immediately swing into action and arrest the situation.
“Mr governor cannot be claiming to have come with a solution and the people will be facing this kind of horrible experience in the hands of these killer herdsmen,” he said.
Another netizen, Prince Madu wrote; “Oh my!. What did I just read?
“The man will need many surgeries to have his anus functioning well again.
“Also imagine the trauma of watching these bastards rape your spouse before you and having your maid watching too!
“I feel for this family. A lot will never remain the same. Their daughter’s wedding which was supposed to bring joy to their family, is now a channel of sorrow.
“I pray that the government and security agencies will fish out these hoodlums and make them pay for what they did.”
Yet another netizen wrote; “This is the height of it all! Soludo must rise and tackle this, otherwise he would have failed in his primary responsibility of protecting lives and property.”
Our correspondent was yet to get any official confirmation or reaction to the incident, from either the relevant security agencies or the government, at the time of filing this report.
