Igbo women stage protest against military alleged harassment on South-East roads

Igbo women, represented by the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), have called on the Federal Government to withdraw soldiers stationed at checkpoints across the South-East region.

The women claim that instead of addressing security issues, the soldiers are exacerbating problems by focusing on extortion and harassing motorists and commuters.

They expressed dismay over the practice of forcing passengers to leave their vehicles and walk across checkpoints before reboarding, a treatment they say is uniquely harsh in the South-East.

Lolo Nneka Chimezie, President of IWA, questioned why soldiers deployed to address insecurity in Igbo land have instead engaged in extortion and mistreatment of the local population.

The women highlighted the troubling reality that criminals continue to operate near these checkpoints without intervention. They urged the Federal Government to remove the soldiers and suggested that police forces, being more approachable, should take over the responsibility of protecting the people.