According to Punch, over 200 unclad women from Nkwegu community near Abakaliki took to the street of the town in protest against the continued detention of the president general of the community, Ndubuisi Ekumankama, by the police on Monday, May 9. Ekumankama was reported to have broken down the house of a widow in Amangwu Edda community of the state and had been incarcerated for it.
The women, believed to be about 200 in number were protesting all the way to Ebonyi State Government House in Abakaliki before they were intercepted by policemen who became confused upon seeing the unclad women.
The police public relations officer, Ebonyi state command, George Okafo said:
“Last week, a group of women numbering about 20 stormed the police headquarters to protest the arrest and detention of a suspect who was being held for demolishing a widow’s house in Amangwu-Edda. After we spoke to them, they even saw the suspect and he spoke to them. This showed them that he is alive.
They went back. Today, we got information that the same women had gone and mobilised over 200 other women to storm the Government House in protest. We also got information that they were coming into the town unclad so, we tried to halt them from gaining entry into the city.”
“Our men who earlier got to the scene were repelled because of the sight of the uncladness of these women and we had to mobilise our policewomen, led by a female Assistant Commissioner of Police. Their action was unfortunate and shameful.”
The State Police Commissioner, Ibekwe Abdallah, sent some female police officers to the scene to plead with protesters.