The leaders, elders, women and youth of other Eha-Amufu communities have galvanised themselves against the protests and actions of women of Eha-Ohuala, Eha-Amufu Ward III, tagging them as politically-motivated.
This development followed unfolding events, which they said had exposed earlier allegation that the activities of women of Eha Ohuola, a Labour Party stronghold and village of the Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 election was fuelled by politics.
In the same vein, a human rights activist and Women Aids Collective-trained paralegal, Mr. Richard Ogenyi, has, in a voice note that went viral on Thursday, lamented attacks on dissenting voices and perceived political opponents, including his wife and children for telling visiting journalists that there was no recent mass killings in Eha-Amufu as claimed by the protesting women in viral videos a few weeks ago.
Reports from Eha-Amufu on Thursday and Friday morning show that leaders, women, and youth of other Eha-Amufu communities have accused Eha Ohuala women of initially fooling the other villages into believing that they were protesting against herders excesses, but only to discover that it was all about local Town Union politics and political control of Isi-Uzo.
They accused Eha Ohuola women of framing and attacking PDP members in Eha-Amufu ward III, but said PDP supporters were instructed by the Council Chairman, Hon. Obiora Obeagu, not to retaliate or take laws into their hands.
“These women went after the PG of Mgbuji Community and one of the women was overheard saying ‘… Ndu Labour ga achinata Mgbuji’, meaning that Labour Party must take over the leadership of Mgbuji Town Union.
“A lot of people out there are being deceived based on herders sentiments and they don’t know what is going on in Mgbuji, Eha-Amufu. Truth is that Mgbuji is not the only community in Isi-Uzo with herders problem of over 15years. But Eha-Ohuala, Mgbuji are typical examples of communities destroying themselves by themselves. The truth is unfolding,” a local, who preferred to be anonymous, said.
Meanwhile, Richard Ogenyi, in a viral voice note, raised the alarm over how his children were locked out and his wife dragged to the village market and humiliated by the rampaging women on account for supporting Dr. Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 governorship election instead of their kinsman, Chijioke Edeoga.
He lamented, “My name is Richard Ogenyi, from Mgbuji, Eha-Amufu, a human rights activist and WACOL-trained paralegal. Since after the 2023 Enugu State gubernatorial election, these hoodlums have been threatening anyone that they perceive as an enemy or political opponent in Eha-Amufu. Last week, a team of journalists, numbering about 30 from various media houses visited Eha-Amufu on a fact-finding mission in respect of the menace that herdsmen are causing in our community. Anybody, who granted interview has been attacked by uninformed women being used by their sponsors.
“This morning, March 20, 2025, they came after me and as I was not at home, they took my wife hostage and taken to Afor Mgbuji market, where she is being humiliated right now.
“I call on all authorities, including the digital projects governor of Enugu State to come to our rescue right now.”
Media reports show that Ogenyi told the visiting media houses that but for isolated incidents, such as the killing of an undergraduate and rape of a woman in February, security had continued to improve under the since the administrations of Governor Mbah and the Council Chairman, Hon. Obiora Obeagu.
He was emphatic that there were no such recent mass killings and arsons as portrayed by protesters on the social media.
“From my own view, they protested against the herders invasion of our place because as you can see, this place you are seeing now is called Orie Ogbete or Orie Uzo Ugbo Mgbuji. It was a lively place before the herders drove us away in 2022.
“So, how I view what happened one or two weeks ago as an independent person is that what the woman did was good in creating awareness.
“But the truth is that there was an element of politics in the protest and I am not happy about that aspect because they should have focused on the main issue. For instance, I am surprised hearing that people numbering in hundreds were killed in Eha-Amufu recently. Truth us that after the incident of 2022, we have not witnessed such number of killings being circulated.
“Since Obiora Obeagu’s second term and Governor Mbah administration, we have witnessed a lot of security improvement and insecurity has dropped drastically,” he had told reporters.
Recall that earlier in the week, Eha Ohuala women, attacked and stripped another community leader and staunch PDP member, Mr. Israel Mgborogwu. They alleged that he sold community land, was collecting money to kill people and also suppressing information on alleged mass killings and arson in Eha Amufu, an allegation he vehemently denied.
Mr. Mgborogwu had already been cleared for the PG contest by the electoral committee.
It is, therefore, alleged that he is being targeted by anti-PDP elements, who insist on installing a Labour Party member as President-General of the Community Town Union, and are therefore, sponsoring women mob action to suppress him and scuttle his ambition, knowing that the authorities would not be hard on them since they are women.
