Angry women from Okpavuerhe Olomu Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State staged a protest yesterday over ongoing insecurity fueled by a leadership crisis. The protesters marched to the office of the Council Chairman, Dr. Lucky Avweromre, urging him to intervene and restore peace.
Carrying leaves and chanting war songs, the women condemned the violence that has disrupted their lives and prevented them from accessing their farmlands. They blamed the leadership tussle for escalating insecurity, claiming cultists and other criminals now roam freely in their farming areas.
Mrs. Kesiena Arigi, the women leader, along with Mrs. Lucy Aki, Mrs. Grace Edevwie, and Miss Aghogho Edole, led the protest and voiced their concerns. They told the chairman that hoodlums had taken over their farms, threatening them with weapons and forcing them to live in constant fear.
The women explained that as soon as the renewed conflict began—leaving one person severely injured by machete—suspected cultists aligned with the embattled President General seized control of their farmlands, chasing them away.
In response, Dr. Avweromre warned the opposing leadership factions to stop any actions that could worsen the crisis. Surrounded by senior council officials, he vowed to hold accountable anyone caught inciting violence in the community.
He commended the women for protesting peacefully and assured them that the government would not tolerate lawlessness. Avweromre recalled that he had earlier convened a dialogue involving law enforcement and local stakeholders to resolve the dispute, but he expressed disappointment over the resistance to government efforts.
“It is illegal for any faction to recruit hoodlums or prevent community members—especially women—from working on their farms,” he stated.
Dr. Avweromre appealed for calm and promised that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration would take decisive steps to restore peace and order in Okpavuerhe.
