Hundreds of women from Eha-Alumona, a community in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, took to the streets to protest against ongoing attacks and harassment by masquerades in their area.
According to the women, they are fed up with the boys behind the masks, who seem to have forgotten that they were born of women and are now targeting their own mothers, sisters, and daughters.
The Nsukka Local Government Area, where this protest took place, is one of the 17 local government areas in Enugu State. It’s headquartered in the town of Nsukka and comprises several communities, including Eha-Alumona.
The women, who marched from Eha-Alumona to the Nsukka Local Government Secretariat and Nsukka police area command, carried placards with messages such as ‘Gov Peter Mbah, come to our rescue in Eha-Alumona from the evil menace of Omabe and Akatakpa masquerades’ and ‘Women are denied of movement and their rights’.
They urged Governor Peter Mbah to ban the masquerades from operating in the area, citing the use of dangerous weapons like guns and knives to intimidate and extort money from them.
The spokesperson for the protesters, Mrs. Benedict Ugwuoke, explained that the masquerades have held the community hostage, particularly women, restricting their movement and daily activities.
Eha-Alumona, a rural community in Enugu State, is steeped in tradition and cultural heritage, famously hosting masquerade festivals.
However, the community women protest that the festivals now spark anxiety and harassment, undermining their sense of safety and well-being.
“We are here to appeal to Governor Mbah’s government and security agencies to ban the activities of Omabe and Akatakpa masquerades in the Eha-Alumona community due to their incessant attack, harassment, and restriction of movements on residents especially women and young girls,” Mrs Ugwoke said.
She said, “The ugly situation has degenerated to the point that women in the community no longer go to farm, market, and other engagements because of fear of being attacked and harassed by the masquerades.
“If this situation is allowed to continue, it means that we and our children will die of hunger as we are no longer allowed to move out and find something to feed our family.
“Masquerades who present themselves as traditionalist have held the entire community hostage by their practices, condemning the entire community into a compulsory curfew where women particularly are their major targets. We are no longer free to move out of our homes on any day they call ‘Onuokachi Day’.
“On this day, motorists are not safe to enter our community likewise visitors and marketers. If it falls on our market day, we are always doomed because we can’t go out to search for food for our families.”
Although she said that they are not against the culture and tradition of their community, she vowed that they would no longer fold their arms and watch masquerades unleash terror on women and girls in the name of culture and tradition.
She said, “These boys parading themselves under the costume of masquerades as spirits forgot that it is the same woman they are harassing and maltreating that gave birth to them.
“Our community Eha-Alumona is sick and tired of these skirmish experiences all in the name of culture and tradition, we plead for freedom of worship and freedom of movement in our community.”
The women’s protest highlights the need for authorities to address the issue of masquerade-related violence and ensure the safety and rights of women in Eha-Alumona. The Nsukka Local Government Area Secretariat and police area command have been alerted to the situation, and it remains to be seen how Governor Peter Mbah will respond to the women’s demands.
