A 40-year-old woman in Amaezekwe, Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Mrs Blessing Ngwuta, has narrated how she lost her four-month-old pregnancy to suspected political thugs who invaded her husband’s residence and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
Key Highlights
- Ebonyi woman alleges political thugs caused pregnancy loss.
- Attack occurred at her husband’s residence.
- She lost her four-month pregnancy after being assaulted.
- Attackers allegedly destroyed property worth millions.
- Victims reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Political thugs, armed with weapons, had broken into the compound of Chief Christopher Ngwuta, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the community, during a courtesy visit to the 73-year-old elder statesman by leaders of the party and attacked his wife, who was preparing food for the visitors.
The incident occurred last Friday afternoon at Chief Ngwuta’s compound in Amaezekwe, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.
She narrated that the same thugs also attacked some other persons in the Ngwuta compound the same day and inflicted varying degrees of injuries on them, destroying vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles and other valuable property while allegedly carting away some motorcycles.
The victims are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals across the state.
Ngwuta, who was discharged on Sunday, told Daily Sun that the thugs hit her from behind while she was preparing food for her husband’s visitors, causing her to fall and hit her stomach on the ground, resulting in the loss of her four-month pregnancy.
“I was cooking food for my husband’s visitors inside our compound. The visitors were coming in, and we were opening the gate for them.
“We didn’t know that some armed persons had surrounded our gate. When we opened the gate for more visitors who were knocking on it, a group of people armed with guns, machetes, swords, stones, woods and other dangerous weapons forcefully opened the gate wide and invaded our compound.
“They immediately started attacking people inside the compound and collected their belongings, including cash, phones, motorcycles and other items.
“They destroyed the motorcycles parked in the compound and also tricycles. When they were about to go, one of them said, ‘The man’s wife is in the kitchen. She is at the back of this building.’
“Immediately one of them said this, they came to where I was cooking and descended on me and other women who were helping me to cook food for my husband’s visitors.
“One of them hit me from behind, and I fell down and hit my stomach on the ground. When I tried to wake up, another one pointed a gun at my head and said that they would use me and set an example for others to learn.
“They continued beating me until I became so weak, and they left. I was immediately rushed to the hospital by my husband because I was bleeding.
“Because of the attack, I lost my four-month pregnancy, and I was just discharged from the hospital this Sunday.
“I am not a politician; I don’t know anything about politics, and I don’t belong to any political party. I don’t know my offence,” she said.
The woman called on security agencies to fish out and prosecute the attackers.
Also in an interview, her husband, Chief Christopher Ngwuta, expressed sadness over the attack.
“It is surprising to me that my children will invade my home, attack my wife and destroy property belonging to me and my visitor.
“I call these thugs my children because I knew when their mothers were married by their fathers and I knew when they were born. I know all these people that carried out this attack.
“I am an elder statesman. I am an old man and a peaceful person, and I have the right to belong to a political party of my choice. Nobody can stop me from being a member of a party that I have chosen to belong to, nobody!
“This is very shameful! They should go and see what is happening in Izzi. Ojimba, the candidate of APGA, is shaking the entire Izzi and Ebonyi North, where he is contesting the senatorial election, and nothing is happening to him. Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi is contesting under APC in the same Izzi clan and Ebonyi North zone. Dr Sunday Opoke is also contesting under the PDP in the zone, and he is also an Izzi man.
“In the central, Goodluck Chidiebere Egwu is contesting the House of Representatives under PDP with Hon. Chinedu Ogah, and nothing is happening to Chidiebere Egwu. He is from the same Ikwo as Chinedu Ogah.
“In Ebonyi South zone, Maria Ude Nwachi, Linus Okorie, Professor Anthony Ani, Felix Igboke, Eni Uduma Chima and Nkemkamna Kama are contesting Senate and House of Representatives seats under APC and PDP, and there is no attack or violence in their places. Nobody is hunting them, nobody is destroying their homes, and nobody is attacking their supporters. Why Ezza clan, why Ezza South?” he queried.
Ngwuta vowed that no amount of intimidation, harassment or attack would change his mind and that he would continue to support the PDP and canvass support for its governorship candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Odii.
The PDP chieftain further said he was predicating his support for the PDP candidate on what he claimed was the deception of his Ezza nation by the APC government.
“I am ready for the PDP candidate, Anyichuks, because the distance for my Ezza nation to get a ticket in 2031 under APC is like the distance from Spera-in-Deo junction in Abakaliki to Iran. But the distance for my Ezza nation under PDP is like Spera-in-Deo junction to Chiboy junction. I’m sorry for those who don’t know what is happening, especially the elites. You guys are misguided and misspending. I am a general in this business, and Ezzas are not in the agenda of this present government,” he claimed.
The attack on Chief Ngwuta’s residence is the second incident in Ezza South Local Government Area within one week.
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On the 1st of this month, 10 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikwuator Idembia in the local government were also attacked at a rally organised by a member of the party, Ifeanyi Nworie, to formally defect to the party.
The political event was originally scheduled to take place at a roadside village square in the community, but the thugs stormed the venue and disrupted it.
Nworie then decided to relocate the gathering to his private compound in the area.
The attackers traced the attendees to the residence and inflicted serious bodily harm on them.
Members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state were not spared by the attackers, who attempted to set them ablaze inside their branded operational vehicles when the incident occurred.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the attacks on its members and supporters.
Chairman of the party in the state, Chukwuma Igwe, recalled that in the last few weeks, supporters and members of the PDP had faced threats from the APC.
“We have called this press conference to draw the attention of Nigeria and Nigerians to undemocratic action deliberately orchestrated to undermine the conduct of the 2027 general elections in Ebonyi State.
“We therefore call on all security agencies to uphold their constitutional responsibility of protecting all Nigerians and ensuring that every citizen of Ebonyi State is free to exercise his or her civic responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution, including the rights to freedom of association and political participation.
“We state unequivocally that the PDP in Ebonyi State will not be intimidated by undemocratic forces, irrespective of who may be behind them.
“As political activities commence in the coming days, we urge our members to remain peaceful and law-abiding. We also call on the Ebonyi State Government to play by the rules of democracy, bearing in mind that no one has a monopoly on violence or misconduct.”
But the Chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, absolved the party of the violence.
“So far as it has to do with APC in Ebonyi State, we watch the body language of our dear Governor. He doesn’t want to offend anyone.
“As such, we must toe his path. There is no time APC will have a hand in violence because you know very well that if you get yourself into such an act, the governor will abandon you.
“So, as such, our members should not get themselves into violence because our Governor is not a supporter of such things.
“The governor doesn’t want violence. If you can’t trade with somebody today politically, you can trade with the person tomorrow politically.
“His Excellency understands that we are one and we will remain one. So, we are not part of the attacks,” Emegha said.
