Enugu women on Tuesday called on the State government to send Fulani herdsmen packing from the State.
The angry women, stormed the State House of Assembly according to reports in their number, said the herdsmen were engaging in serial rape of women.
They carried placards, which read: “Fulani herdsmen are killing our men with AK 47?; ‘All we are saying is, Fulani, leave our farmlands’ ‘They butchered two men at Eke’ ‘Stop robbing us at the high ways’ ‘Stop raping our women.”
They alleged that apart from molesting and raping women, the herdsmen were equally destroying their farms.
Leader of the group, Mrs Achogaonye Eze, who spoke on behalf of the protesting women, said unless the herdsmen were stopped, their lives would be in grave danger because the herdsmen were always armed with sophisticated weapons.
Eze, who is the wife of Bishop Sostenas Eze of the Enugu North Anglican Diocese, pointed out that apart from raping women and killing people in the communities, the herdsmen also engaged in robbery and kidnapping.
She lamented that they were helpless because they had complained to the law enforcement agencies to no avail.
She disclosed that people were now afraid to go to farm unless they were in groups for fear of rape or outright killing.
According to her, “They have butchered two men who tried to confront them, they rape women and destroy their crops.
“They pretend to be selling bush meat and when you stop over to buy, their gang will come out of the bush and rob you of your belongings.
“They are now wielding AK 47 guns against villagers who confront them; and since the vigilante do not have such sophisticated weapons, they are helpless.”
She added that, “our people are molested, who now behave as if they own the land. If we don’t stop them, they may rape your own wives.”
