Last Saturday (12/11/22), commuters along the Owerri/Onitsha road witnessed an unusual traffic holdup that lasted for hours, at least from 9am to 6pm.
The women of Irete under the umbrella of Umuoma Ezi-Irete Women Meeting used the remains of one of their deceased husbands to block the road at a market point on protest thereby causing traffic holdup.
The Chairperson of the Women Evangelist Goodness Metu, who spoke to this Reporter, said they were protesting for the release of their youths who were arrested by Police as they were bringing home from FMC, for burial, the remains of one of their dead husbands, 42 year old Mr Uzoma Ogu of Umunwalo Ezi- Irete.
According to Evangelist Goodness Metu, the Police, presumably from the Tiger base, Owerri, accosted the convoy, arrested 61 youths and whisked them away.
She then said they managed to bring the dead body home and decided to use it to block the road by way of protest.
The woman whose husband died, Mrs Ifeoma Ogu, was given a chair to sit by the husband’s corpse on the tarred road alongside her only son while the women sang in agony.
A woman, Mrs Ijeoma Odunze who was battling with tears as she spoke to Trumpeta said six of her children are among those being detained.
All efforts made by Police to make the Women vacate the road proved abortive. Even the President-General of the Town Union, Mr Nnamdi Nneji(CSP Rtd) who came to ask the women away was greeted with splashing of “pure water” and Sand. Mr Nneji, in an interview, who said he had visited the Police to ascertain the situation of things, said he was told the youths who adorned black attires up and down that day were seen brandishing dangerous weapons as well as exhibited youthful exuberances capable of breaching the peace.
Also speaking, a community leader, Barrister C.Metu said the Community had waded into the matter and expressed the hope that solution was at hand. Meanwhile, the deceased has been buried while those arrested are currently been profiled.
However, as at the time of filing this report, 44 out of the 61 youths arrested have been release. The remaining 17 during profiling were discovered to have tattoo all over their bodies and wore dreadlocks.
