Ogoja Erupts as Women Protest Killing, Demand Suspect

Ogoja was gripped by intense unrest on Monday as “thousands of women and youths took to the streets of Ogoja on Monday in a protest over the killing of a young woman, demanding that the police release the suspect to face mob justice.”

The massive crowd, “drawn largely from Nwang I and II communities and other parts of Ekajuk Clan, marched to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Ogoja, chanting war songs and expressing outrage over the incident.”

Driven by grief and anger, “the protesters insisted that the suspect, 35-year-old Malime Sunday Ejor, should be handed over to them to suffer the same fate allegedly meted out to his girlfriend.”

The tragedy involves “the victim, identified as 26-year-old Moshie Lucy Igu, was reportedly attacked at a farm in Nwang Village.” Local “sources said the suspect allegedly lured her to a nearby stream where he inflicted fatal machete injuries.”

In response to the crime, “police had earlier arrested the suspect and subsequently transferred him to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Calabar for further investigation.”

As the protest moved to the station, “tension escalated as the crowd became unruly, attacking police officers and damaging a Hyundai vehicle as well as parts of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) facility.”

To regain control of the situation, “security operatives responded by deploying smoke canisters to disperse the protesters, while eight persons were arrested in connection with the disturbance.”

In an effort to prevent further violence, “however, in a bid to restore calm, the arrested individuals were later released to a community leader following interventions to de-escalate tensions.” Meanwhile, “the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Ogoja.”

Providing an official update, “Police Public Relations Officer, SP Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed the incident, assuring that a thorough and discreet investigation is ongoing.”