herdsmen accused of raping three pregnant women in Delta State, protested by Delta Women

Women protesters from Ohorhor community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State on Tuesday blocked the Ughelli-Patani section of the East-West road over the continued attacks on local farmers and indigenes of the community by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the area.

The protesters, who accused the herdsmen of allegedly raping three pregnant women and killing at least three persons in the last three weeks in the community, demanded that the herdsmen be evacuated from their farm lands to avoid further bloodshed.

Commuters traveling through the busy road were stranded for over 7 hours as the women defy several appeals from security agencies drafted to the area to leave the road while those who could not wait had to divert through the Ughelli-Asaba road to continue with their journey.

Our correspondent who visited the scene of the protest learnt that the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Benin, Edo State, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed, who was traveling to Bayelsa State for an assignment was also locked up in the process.

Mrs Umukoro added, “These Fulani herdsmen have rapped 3 pregnant women in our community. We are giving them four days to leave our community, else we would return to the road.”

Another protester said, “We are alienated from our own land by Fulani herdsmen who have taken over our farms and busness. No fewer than three persons have been killed in the last three weeks by these herdsmen in our community. This can’t continue. They must leave our land now.”

The women who stormed the road as early as 6am came with mats and chairs while others were armed with food and water.

They however vacated the road at about 1:40pm after Mr. Muhammad and other travelers going to different destinations in the South-South and South East appealed to them that their complaints would be handled appropriately.