Igbo women, under the aegis of National Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to withdraw the soldiers deployed across the numerous checkpoints in the South East region, who they say have literally abandoned their mission to engage in extortion and humiliation of the people of the region.
According to the women the soldiers are constituting more problems than solving them – since they are more interested in extorting money from motorists and harassing commuters against what they were assigned to do.
IWA bemoaned the humiliation of commuters on the roads by soldiers, who force them, including the sick and elderly, to disembark from their vehicles and cross checkpoints on foot before rejoining their vehicles.
The women regretted that such humiliation of citizens only happen in the South East, asking what offence Igbos committed.
Speaking to journalists in Enugu the President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie said it was always embarrassing to see that criminals would attack and abduct people at points not far from some of these checkpoints yet they would not be apprehended.
“Since they have failed to secure the people they were asked to protect, we demand that the Federal Government withdraws them immediately, police should be encouraged to protect the people as they are more approachable than soldiers who are always harsh on the people, irrespective of age,” she said.
On the ongoing anti-Igbo campaign in Lagos, IWA wondered why the people behind the ethnic campaign and hate speech have not been arrested by the Federal Government.
IWA also regretted that those who threatened and even attacked Igbo in the same Lagos and the ones currently championing ethnic hatred against Igbo are walking freely.
The women wondered what offence Igbo committed in Nigeria to be so badly treated.
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