By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Traditional Ruler of Ukwulu Community in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Peter Anukwu Uyanwa has debunked, as lies from the pit of hell, the story flying around, alleging that herdsmen kidnapped and raped a man and his family members in a bush in the community.
Recall that a story and open addressed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo by a yet-to-be-identified person started trending since Sunday morning, containing a horrible ordeal that the narrator and some of the family members allegedly suffered in the hands of herdsmen in the community.
The faceless narrator, believed to be a woman, in the story, claimed that she was a native of Ukwulu community, but got married to Nawgu community, and further added that she, her husband, and her maid were returning home for her daughter’s wedding ceremony when some herdsmen blocked them, pulled out their guns and ordered them into a nearby bush in Ukwulu.
She also recounted how three of them were repeatedly raped inside a bush by the herdsmen who also demanded a whopping ransom of three hundred million naira (one million on each of them) for their release.
Her story read in parts:
“Attenton of Your Excellency, Prof Charles Soludo. This is my story.
“I am a native of Ukwulu, married to Nawgwu. On the 17th of April, 2024, we came back to celebrate the marriage of my daughter. As we were driving to Ukwulu through Abba Junction, after ELDI, we saw cows crossing the road and stopped. Immediately, the cattle men blocked the road and brought out guns, and ordered us into the bush. They tied our hands behind us. They started beating us. Some farmers saw us and looked away. They did not help us.
“In the bush, they raped me and my maid before my husband every time without mercy. The third man tore my husband’s trousers and continued to rape him in the anus. They took our phone and ordered us to start calling our friends and family. They demand for 100 milliom for each of us or they would kill us.
“After 3 days that they continuously raped us, men my maid was sick and vomiting blood. My husband is dying as his anus is teared to pieces. I cannot stand up properly, due to continue rape. I am wishing I died in that bush.
“My son-in-law gathered 15million and they directed him to Main Market, Onitsha to buy cash. It is obvious the Fulani people are working with the money changers.
They released us on Saturday and my son-in-law rush us to hospital at Asaba.
“Your Excellency, please save your people by having that bush surrounded by security people. Please chase out these evil cow men from Anambra. Please stop them from wasting lives. Even as we are leaving, they brought two other male captives. That bush is their base. Those boys will still be there now.
“Please help call Igwe Ukwulu and Nawgwu to take responsibility. I am now a living dead due to fulani in my town. Even the villagers cannot react again maybe due to fear.
Please
“Please, Your Excellency, free your people. This is my last wish. Thank you.”
However, when contacted by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, the Traditional Ruler of Ukwulu community, Igwe Uyanwa refuted the story as unfounded lies from the pit of hell, stressing that such thing never happened in the community.
The monarch maintained that the poorly articulated story was the handiwork of a mischief maker, who cooked up the lies for reasons best known to them.
He challenged the author to be bold enough to reveal her identity or reach out to any law enforcement agency in the state and officially lodge her complains, if she claims she is telling the truth, rather than using social media to peddle lies and fake news with the name of the community.
To further prove the story wrong, Igwe Uyanwa explained that the narrator’s claim of being a native Ukwulu but married to Nawgu is another crystal lie from the pit of hell, as people from Ukwulu and Nawgu communities had not engaged in marriage with each other for the past sixty years (due to inter-community issues existing between the two towns), until last three years when it was heard that someone from Ukwulu got married to someone from Nawgu.
The monarch also wondered why the said victim did not reach out to any of the leaderships of the two communities to report the said attack and ordeal, but quickly rushed to the social media to trend it, wondering what she intends to achieve by doing that.
“So, my brother, something like that never happened anywhere in Ukwulu, and it is fake news. Quote me anywhere. That thing is pure fake news,” the monarch said in an interview with this reporter on Monday.
