A group of aggrieved women from Oke-Ere community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State on Wednesday staged a protest against what they described as the “endless reign of terror” unleashed on their community by armed kidnappers and suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In a video circulating online, the women —most of them elderly, marched half-naked through the streets of the community, chanting mournful songs and crying out over the rising insecurity that has plagued their once peaceful town.
The women who were armed with sticks and leaves, could be seen wailing as they moved in unison, lamenting the killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks that have forced many to abandon their farms and homes.
Some of the protesters, visibly shaken, appealed to the government and security agencies to intervene and put an end to what they described as a daily nightmare.
One of their posts read, “The women of Oke-Ere in Yagba West local government area of Kogi State making prayers for the security of the land against kidnappers and Fulani herdsmen.
“They are tired of insecurity and reckless killings of their husbands, children, and loved ones. They can’t go to the market or farm to feed again. #FreeYagbaWestFromInsecurity,” over incessant killings, kidnappings
The protest comes on the heels of a recent attack along the Ayere-Kabba expressway in March, where suspected kidnappers abducted three travelers and injured four others. The injured victims were taken to St. John’s Hospital in Kabba for treatment.
The state has witnessed a series of similar incidents, with residents repeatedly pointing fingers at suspected herdsmen for orchestrating brutal assaults and abductions in rural communities.
Residents, however, have continued to call for urgent and sustained government intervention to restore peace and security.
The video of the protest can be seen here.
