Naked Fury: Kogi Women Protest Half-Naked Over Soaring Insecurity, Demand Government Action
LOKOJA, KOGI STATE – Hundreds of women in Kogi State took to the streets today in a dramatic and culturally significant half-naked protest, expressing their outrage and desperation over the escalating insecurity plaguing their communities.
The women, from various towns and villages across the state, blocked major roads and streets, chanting slogans and waving green leaves, demanding urgent government intervention to address the growing wave of kidnappings, banditry, and attacks on farmers in the region.
The protest, considered a powerful and symbolic act of desperation in many Nigerian cultures – traditionally used by women to invoke spiritual intervention and express extreme displeasure – saw women, many elderly, shedding their upper garments to demonstrate the gravity of their plight.
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They lamented the constant fear they live in, unable to farm their lands, travel safely, or even sleep peacefully in their homes due to the relentless threats posed by criminal elements.
“Our lives are no longer safe! We can’t go to our farms, our children can’t go to school in peace, and we are constantly living in fear of being kidnapped or attacked,” cried out Madam Aisha, a visibly distraught woman leading a group of protesters in Lokoja, the state capital.
“We are mothers, we are wives, we are the backbone of our families, but we are being decimated by these criminals. Enough is enough!”
Eyewitnesses reported similar scenes in other major towns like Kabba, Okene, and Anyigba, where women effectively shut down vehicular movement and commercial activities.
Placards carried by the protesters bore messages such as “Buhari, Save Kogi Women!”, “Insecurity is Killing Us!”, “Our Farms Are Now Graveyards!”, and “We Demand Security Now!”
The women accused both the state and federal governments of failing to adequately protect them, alleging a lack of proactive measures to curb the activities of bandits and kidnappers operating in the state.
They claimed that despite repeated appeals and reported incidents, the security response has been woefully inadequate, leaving them feeling abandoned and vulnerable.
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“We have cried, we have pleaded, we have begged, and now we are resorting to this extreme measure to show our pain and demand action,” explained another protester, who identified herself as Mama Comfort.
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“We are not afraid to show our nakedness because what we are facing is even more shameful – the shame of being constantly terrorized and helpless in our own land.”
The half-naked protest, while uncommon, carries significant weight in Nigerian society. It is often seen as a last resort, a powerful curse laid upon those deemed responsible for injustice and suffering.
The women’s action highlights the depth of their desperation and underscores the urgent need for a robust and effective security strategy to address the escalating insecurity in Kogi State and across the nation.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the Kogi State government or security agencies regarding the women’s protest.
However, the demonstrations are expected to put significant pressure on authorities to take immediate and decisive action to restore peace and security to the affected communities and reassure the women of Kogi State that their cries for help are being heard.
The success and sustainability of these protests, and the government’s eventual response, remain to be seen.
Tolu Adebayo
Reporter/Social Media Manager
