A group of Ogoni women have staged a protest at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, calling on the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to help stop military raids and abuses in parts of Ogoniland, especially the community of Yeghe in Gokana Local Government Area.

Speaking to newsman, leader of the group, Mrs. Leedensin Daadan, said the women, who came in about 20 trucks, alleged that the raids started since February 2016. She also called for a probe of the raids.

Mrs. Daadan cited the case of Cecilia Diginee, 77 years old, who had just been buried in Yeghe. She died from shock on September 13 after she collapsed on February 23 during the military raid on Yegh, Ogoniland.

According to Mrs. Daadan, Cecilia's case is one of the many cases predominantly affecting women and children. “The raids by the Nigerian Army in Yeghe, Ogoniland is impacting negatively on the health of rural dwellers and ultimately leading to death,” she said.

The women leader said: “There is no crisis in the Yeghe community, no community is at war with the people of Yeghe and the reason for the soldiers to continuously raid and rape women, and causing hardship and terrible heart conditions leading to the death of several women and children is what we are calling on the governor to stop and ensure there is a probe into these incidents.

“The soldiers rape us and we can no longer go to farms because sometimes, you just find that they are in the farmlands as early as 6am, they shoot randomly and out of fear, our people are developing heart problems and dying.”

The women leader also disclosed that women in the community live in fear and can no longer go to the farm. “The result is that hunger is biting hard on them and their families,” she said.

Mrs. Daadan said if Governor Wike will not take action to stop the Soldiers from raiding their communities, they will take the protest to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja whom she believes is not aware of the crimes of the soldiers and their mission in Ogoniland.

•Photo shows Ogoni community members protesting during a visit by Gov. Wike to Yeghe to view destruction in the community during the February 22-23 army raid.

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