Imo Women Express Agony, Protest Continued Detention of their Traditional Ruler
Women of Umunneato Community in the Aboh Mbaise Council Area of Imo State have Saturday blocked the popular Eke Nguru Market to demand the release of their traditional ruler, HRH Eze Leo Nwokocha, from police detention.
The women, particularly those from Umunneato Nguru, which includes Egberede, Eziala, and Okwu Nguru, came out in large numbers to protest Nwokocha’s continued detention.
Nwokocha, who is the Chairman of the Mbaise Council of Traditional Rulers, was arrested on December 28, 2022, by the Imo State Police Headquarters in Owerri after a member of the proscribed Eastern Security Network (ESN), Chinwendu Nwagwu, accused him of sponsoring the group.
Nwagwu, aka Onye Army, who hails from Umunneato with Nwokocha, mentioned his traditional ruler’s name and Jude Egwim from Mbaise as their sponsors through one absconded Mr. Ihedioha, who gave them N120,000.
The women, who refused to observe their Eke Nguru Market Day, protested with chants of agony songs over the continued detention of Nwokocha.
One of the leaders of the rampaging women, Florence Opara, from Okwu Nguru, insisted that Nwokocha does not encourage nor tolerate crime in the society.
She called on Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to use his power as the number one citizen of the state to effect the release of Nwokocha.
Also speaking, Mrs. Getrude Nwaegbu and Mrs. Florence Ogbonna, explained that the community had been in agony since the arrest and detention of the monarch.
