A 72-year-old woman whose domestic worker allegedly cut off her genitals for money ritual in Anambra State is left dead on 2 February.
Chidinma Ikeanyiownu, a media aide to the state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the septuagenarian was at her residence when his house help, simply known as Ezeh led the two other suspects into the premises and cut some of her vital organs, including her genitals.
She was later rescued by her neighbors and rushed to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka, where she was said to be recuperating until her death.
Ezeh, an indigene of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, reportedly confessed that he and others, currently on the run, were sent by an unnamed native doctor to get the victim’s body parts to make them rich.
The victim, later identified as Charity Okoli, hailed from Umunze, a community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Okoli was taken to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka for medical treatment, where she later died as a result of injuries, according to the statement.
Following the development, some women from the community on Tuesday, protested the woman’s death as they paralyzed commercial and economic activities in the area, while demanding the exit of all Abakaliki indigenes from their community.
The protesters wielding placards with various inscriptions and green leaves marched towards the Umunze Area Police Command headquarters, the palace of the community’s traditional ruler, Igwe Promise Eze, and the local government area as well as other relevant bodies.
Spokesperson of the protesters, Mrs Enekwechi Bridget, said: “The entire Umunze community resolved to come together today for a peaceful protest because Abakaliki people resident in our community raped one of us in Ubaha village and cut off her tongue, one of her fingers, two nipples of her breasts and her private part.
“So, that is why we are here to complain to the transition committee chairman of the local government area so he can take our report to Awka, the state capital, for necessary action.
“We are demanding justice and that the suspects should face the full weight of the law because women are not supposed to face such torture and suffering in the hands of heartless criminal elements”.
The traditional ruler of the Umunze community, Eze lamented that his subjects have suffered so much at the hands of non-indigenes.
The monarch, however, urged the people of the community to remain calm as police and leaders of the community are working round the clock to ensure that justice is done at the end of the day.
The commissioner also expressed sadness over Okoli’s death.
She indicated that the suspect has been charged at the Children and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka over the incident just as she vowed to ensure justice for the deceased.
She urged everyone, especially protesting women from the victim’s community, to give the court some time to deliver judgment on the matter, maintaining that she would not relent until all the suspects connected to the crime were arrested and arraigned.
The commissioner refuted the speculations that the Anambra State Government asked indigenes of Ebonyi State residing in Anambra State to leave the state because of the incident.
She said the government only insisted that people coming from other states to reside in Anambra must abide by the order in the state or go elsewhere.
She said the state government would not condone any act that would distort the peaceful coexistence among the people of the state.
