10th November, 2010
Abia indigenes living in the U.S. on Tuesday, staged a peaceful demonstration outside the Nigerian embassy in Washington, against kidnapping in the state.
The protesters denounced what they called “the rising incidence of sexual violence, domestic terrorism and armed robbery in the state.”
An official of the Nigerian embassy in Washington, Shola Onabisi, received a letter of protest from the group, Ngwa National Association, USA.
They carried placards reading: “Stop these criminals, they kidnap children, they rape elderly women, Nigeria bring them to justice”; “Say no to domestic terrorism”, “Mr. president probe security apparatus in Abia.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) was told that the organisation had rallied its member to similar demonstrations at the Nigeria consulates in Atlanta and New York on Oct. 20 and Oct. 9 respectively.
Uchebundu Uhegwu, who is the coordinator of the organisations chapter in the Washington area, said the international community should be interested in the problems in the state.
“The situation in Abia has taken a dangerous dimension with rape, killing, abduction, complicity by the so-called security operatives, and this trend has to stop,” he said.
Uhegwu noted with the spate of kidnappings in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, Abia citizens living outside Nigeria were scared of travelling home because of insecurity.
On Oct. 13, the national chapter of the organisation petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, urging him to investigate the criminal incidents in the state and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The group in the petition urged the federal and state governments to do their utmost to protect the lives and property of citizens.
Specifically, they noted that kidnapping and hostage-taking activities within the nine local governments areas of Abia that comprises the Ngwa-Ukwa Clan have increased tremendously in the past one year.