Market women stripped by militants and filmed in Akwa Ibom State
Several market women from different communities in Akwa Ibom State were abducted by suspected militants and taken to their hideouts where they were forced to remove their clothes and were defiled by the militants that also took several pictures of the women.
Over 10 masked men trapped the two speedboats conveying the women who were returning from Nwaniba community market in Uruan local government of Akwa Ibom state. They were beaten robbed by the men of their money and other valuables before they were whisked away.
According to one of the victims, Mrs. Christiana Sunday John, who spoke through an interpreter, spoke amid tears: “We were badly treated, our womanhood was abused. I joined the second speed boat going back home when midway into our journey; another speed boat from nowhere blocked us.
To my greatest surprise, the boat was conveying over 10 hefty masked men, two of the armed masked men jumped into our boat and ordered the boat operator to take to one of their camps in the creeks. The two armed men robbed the twenty-five (25) of us on board the speed boat before we got to their destination.
At the camp, they forced us to pull-off, we were forced to pull everything to the pant and they asked at gunpoint to expose our private parts while they took several shots with their camera phones.”
She added that they were abandoned and the engines of their boats removed and some women who struggled with the militants were left with machete cuts.
Chairman, Nwaniba Village Council, Elder Samuel Jeo, spoke to NDV that the militants have closed down the market that they put in much efforts to build. He said: “No customer would want to come here and risk his or her life. The market was built two years ago, now we cannot generate revenue because of the effect of militancy and pirates who are terrorizing the area on a daily basis.”
Chief Emmanuel Ben Akpan, Nwaniba community leader when contacted said the men can no longer go fishing and women cannot also go to the market. He mentioned that during one of the previous attacks, they lost about N20million. He is, therefore, calling on the government to intervene in the matter.
DSP Chukwu Ikechukwu, The Police Public Relations Officer said that the case has not been reported nor filed with the Police and this has been hindering investigations on the case.
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