Women from Umuiche, Elelem in Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State have threatened to go naked in protest if their ancestral land, allegedly taken by politicians, is not returned.
The women, in their numbers, staged a peaceful demonstration on Saturday, expressing anger over what they described as the forceful takeover of their farmland.
According to them, the encroachment has deprived many families of their source of livelihood, leading to hunger and hardship in the community.
Speaking during the protest, the women leader, Mrs Elizabeth Okere, said the affected areas included Ndichie Uzo Ubi, Agaranwa, Ngara, and Ahaba.
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She said most of the natives are farmers who depend solely on the land for survival.
“What you’re seeing today is small compared to what is going to happen next if they don’t return our land to us,” Okere declared.
“We prefer going naked on the street to dying of hunger in our own land over what has been ours for ages.”
She alleged that whenever they raised their voices, thugs working for the land grabbers were deployed to intimidate and chase them away from the farmland.
“The world should hear the cry of mothers and, if they don’t want us to call on our ancestors naked on this land, they should return it to us,” she added.
The chairman of the village, Chiaka Amagba, told journalists that over 5,000 hectares of farmland had been encroached upon.
“We want our land back. It’s our ancestral land we used for our farming. They don’t have any business encroaching on it,” Amagba said.
“The land is our only source of livelihood as we’re predominantly farmers. We want to appeal to the appropriate authorities to help us recover our land back.”
Also speaking, the youth leader, Eugene Onyema, alleged that the politicians involved had continued to use thugs to harass and threaten the villagers whenever they challenged the encroachment.
“They brag and tell us that we cannot do anything. We don’t know who else to turn to but beg organisations like Amnesty International and the government to help us get our land back,” Onyema said.
Chris Nwogu, the village secretary, said the community had already begun experiencing starvation due to the situation.
“We have little portion left and if care is not taken they might grab what is left from us and leave us with nothing. Already we’re suffering the effects of the forceful grabbing of land,” Nwogu stated.
He revealed that last year’s farming season produced poor yields, warning that this year might be worse if urgent steps were not taken.
“Our children and other family members are almost dying of starvation, hence the need for urgent help from the appropriate authorities to save us from these politicians,” he added.
Nwogu further confirmed that the village leadership had concluded plans to petition the relevant authorities over the matter.
