Hundreds of widows in Imo State have placed curses on the state Gover­nor, Rochas Okorocha, and his supporters for allegedly peddling falsehood that the widows placed a mock coffin at the gate of Government House, during their protest two weeks ago.

Speaking after their praying and fasting session yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, the chairperson of Imo Wid­ows Association, Mrs. Ijeoma Nwabueze, expressed shock that rather than condemn the beating of the widows, Governor Okorocha and Eze Ohiri-led Council of Ndi Eze resorted to blackmail and false­hood to disparage the innocent widows and cover up the atroc­ity the youths had committed against their mothers.

Mrs. Nwabueze declared: “We pray that if the allegation of parading a mock coffin is true, then whatever Ndi Eze Imo wish of them, let it come to pass. But if not, may coffin never depart from their fami­lies and the Almighty God, who is the husband of the wid­ows, should visit their wives.”

Others who spoke at the session included Mrs Anthonia, a representative of Orlu zone, Martina Ejimmadu from Okigwe zone and Mrs Ijeoma Nwabueze from Owerri.

The Association of Widows also placed curses on tradi­tional rulers, who attended the cleansing ceremony and the hoodlums, who were allegedly mobilised by the state govern­ment to flog and inflict injuries on them.

“Those who knew that the governor and the traditional rulers’ accusation is false and are promoting it, there is a curse attached to such atrocity and also, whoever may have participated or engineered the attack on the harmless wid­ows, who merely engaged in a peaceful protest, cannot go unpunished,” the widows de­clared.

They stated that the wrath of God of widows would also visit two commissioners in the state and a top female official of the state Universal Educa­tion Board (SUBEB) for alleg­edly supervising the beating of the widows and alleging later that the widows were found with a mock coffin.

The widows prayed for quick recovery of those who sustained injuries during the protest, including Mrs. Mary Mgbehuge from Umunna Autonomous Community in Onuimo Local Government Area of the state, who had a broken leg.

•Adapted from a Daily Sun report. Photo shows Okorocha.