The Anambra State Government House was on Wednesday picketed by women from Nimo community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, who staged a naked protest, demanding the removal of their traditional ruler, Igwe Maxi Ike Oliobi.
The women, numbering about 80 and mostly aged, most of whom bared their breasts and were scantily clad in black, pleaded with the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to look into the problem in their community.
Presenting a protest letter to the Secretary to State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu who received them, the leader of the protesting women, Mrs Catherine Akunna alleged that the monarch had sold off a large expanse of land called Ala Owa, which was a product of conquest during a war in the olden days, and deemed to be owned by the entire community.
She said, “That is why we are here to beg the governor to remove him. We are Nimo Women Folk. Our male counterparts have been here for the same protest before, and we are here to back them up.”
Part of the letter submitted to the state government and addressed to the governor stated, “We make these demands which we also bring by ourselves to you to buttress their importance. We hope that they will receive your urgent attention and immediate consideration.
“We appeal to your good office Sir, to call to order our traditional ruler, Igwe Maxi Oliobi, over his insistence that a peaceful town like Nimo community, will no longer know peace during his reign. The confusion he has brought into the community has lingered for over four years now.
“The Igwe has consistently abused our traditional stool by using his position and office to intimidate and harass his subjects; we, the women, our husbands and sons. We are appalled about the set of actions he continues to take with every sense of arrogance, using his security operatives to create fear and unease in the entire Nimo community.”
The SSG who received the letter promised to bring both parties together to find a lasting solution to the community’s problem.
The State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Tonycollins Nwabunwanne, while providing insight into the origin of the crisis in Nimo, disclosed that the issue in contention is the Aniowa parcel of land in Nimo, which some people in the community were selling.
According to him, the people had gone ahead and amended the community’s constitution and signed it behind the town union to make it easy for them to sell the lands belonging to the Nimo people.
He said that with this, they started selling the Aniowa land, which led to the people revolting because the land in question was their farmland.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler has countered claims that he was unilaterally selling out community land, insisting that the community met in a general meeting and agreed to use the disputed land as an estate for community members.
There have also been solidarity rallies by community members to support the monarch in his reign.
