Mrs Anthonia Ugwu, who was stripped naked by some youth Agunese, Af­am-Mmaku Agwu Local Govern­ment Area of the state, has cried out over the way she was beaten and molested over an offence she did not commit.

The 44-year-old Mrs Ugwu while narrating her ordeal on the hospital bed at St. Ann Hospital, Awgu, said she never pick snails from any sacred site.

Mrs Ugwu, a mother of four and widow for 13 years, said she lost her husband in 2009 and had being battling to eke out a living for herself and her children, but unfortunately, her rights to dig­nity of human persons, right to privacy, rights to physical integ­rity, and bodily integrity were all violated over what she knew nothing about.

Mrs Ugwu, who was narrat­ing her ordeal, when Women Aid Collective (WACOL), led by the Founder, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, visited her in a hospital, said she harvests and sells snails as part of a living and on that day, she was violated, she harvested and sold snails to her usual customer at home.

She said: “I was still home when I heard noise outside and in one swoop, youths invaded my home, dragged me out without any opportunity to defend my­self and they started beating me with weapons and clubs, includ­ing iron rod.“They stripped me naked, tied fresh palm fronds around my waist and neck (which sym­bolised complete debasement, worthlessness, total suppression, taboo and shame in Igboland).“But, one of my relatives who intervened to rescue me was also beaten and stabbed,” Mrs Ugwu said.

She said it was later that she observed that her snail custom­er was in their mist and subse­quently, learnt that the women, while on motorbike out of the community, was accosted, her bag searched and the resultant quizzing of the woman led the youths to her home and the out­come was her current predica­ment.

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Mrs. Ugwu, who maintained that she did not harvest snails from any forbidden forest, said had been in snail business for a longtime in the community, abreast of the traditions and culture, and could not have and did not harvest snails in the for­bidden forest.

Mrs Ugwu, who thanked WACOL and its team for the visit, gave names of the perpe­trators as Sunday Nwangene, Jonathan Nwangene, Obi Nwangene, Chigazu Okpala, Okechukwu Okeke, Chukwudi Anikene, Chukwuebuka Agu, Maduabuchi and the father, and a girl who took the video (name not known).

Reacting to the incident, Prof. Ezeilo, who was on a fact-finding mission/survivors support visit, said the violation of the widow’s right was beyond harmful cul­tural practice.

She said: “This solidarity visit was not just on behalf of WACOL, Southeast Human Rights Situation Room, but also on behalf of the Action Aid Nigeria, Nigerian women and women across the globe that have expressed condemnation against this degrading inhuman treatment meted out to Mrs. An­thonia Ugwu (not real name), un­der guise of preserving culture.”

She said: “Mrs Ugwu was de­based, dehumanised, tortured and her nakedness exposed to her children and the entire world.

“WACOL is dismayed by the silence of the traditional ruler of the community, HRH Igwe Cypri­an Nevo Obasi, popularly known as ‘Ogilishi’.

“We are disappointed that up until now, the traditional ruler of the community is yet to make a statement or visit the victim/ survivor in question.”

Prof Ezeilo emphasised that the act of the youth was physical violence and the worst form of degrading treatment to strip her naked by children, some much younger than her son.

Prof Ezeilo said: “As we speak, the entire family is trau­matised, she is traumatised, her son that saw her in that dehumanising state, is also traumatised, locked himself physically in a the room for days and psychologically, since he has refused to talk to anybody or at­tend school because of the shame and fear of stigmatisation. They all need immediate help to regain their self esteem

“The woman is still in dis­tress, she needs comprehensive medical help.

“WACOL has undertaken to move her from her current hospi­tal, which does not have adequate equipment to provide the requisite medicare and support she needs, considering the grave physical as­sault and battery suffered.

“She continues to hold her head, indicating that she needs a comprehensive medical exam­ination, especially an MRI, to es­tablish she does not have internal injuries, not visible to the human eyes.”

Source: Daily Independent