Peace centre: Hospital for Nsukka rape, ritual victims

The centre

OZIOMA UBABUKOH writes about a hospital established to take care of victims of rape and ritual practices in Enugu

The Peace Health Centre at Umunkanka in Nsukka area of Enugu State was filled with women, who had come from across the old Nsukka zone to seek medical and material help. Some of them that lay on the ground could be mistaken for dead.

On closer observation of the women, about 17 of them, our correspondent noticed that they had wounds and were depressed. They were nursing pains from the rape and kidnap they suffered.

There were yet other women at the Peace Health Centre, who had come with their children for medical attention.

Though the women were reluctant to talk and have their pictures taken, some of them yielded after persistent persuasion.

One of them, Mrs. Eziamaka Ugwumgbo, said in about six months, they had lost more than 20 women in their town — Enugu-Ezike, Igboeze-North Local Government Area — to ritualists and chief priests of different deities in the area.

“Those of us you find here are the ones who managed to escape from the attack of these ritual killers and chief priests,” she said.

According to Ugwumgbo, before now they especially the elderly ones, had to cope with rape of women by young men.

“When we kept protesting and fighting the rape incidents, which we did for almost two years, these boys gradually stopped the act, but they have now turned ritual killers and priests of deities to commit their atrocities,” said Ugwumgbo.

She stated that the ritual killers and chief priests use manipulations, charms and other diabolical means to inflict harm on women in the area, which in some cases led to the death of some of them.

“Most of these deaths in the past, especially the rape victims, would have been avoided had the state government established health centres to cater for the victims free of charge. We are  grateful for the Peace Health Centre. It came at a time we, the victims of these attacks, needed it most and treatment is free. Not just free, but we get treated as though we are being treated overseas.

“The donor of the hospital to Umunkanka community in Nsukka, Dr. Sam Onyishi, said he built the centre to save mothers, children, and other people from sudden death since government wasn’t doing anything about it.”

Another woman, Mrs. Theresa Eze (not real name), explained that the state government had failed to take the victims’ plight seriously, even after they had protested several times at the gate of Enugu State Government House.

Eze said about a hundred of them had marched to Government House, Enugu in December 2013 to protest the killing of 11 members of their communities within a space of two weeks.

“We even pleaded with the governor to ban forceful marriages to deities.  His commissioners made promises, yet nothing is yet to happen,” she said.

She added, “We also pleaded with Governor  Chime to come to our aid to unravel and stop the killing of women through fetish activities of chief priests and deities in Enugu-Ezike, yet it has continued and the government is not doing anything about it while the situation is getting worse by the day.”

Eze said of Peace Health Centre, “Most of the doctors here are resident doctors from the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and they have been very instrumental in keeping us well and fit again.

“Two of my friends died because there was no health facility here at Nsukka. Despite the fact that the University of Nigeria is located here, the place (Nsukka) is still a village.

“Even when you find a small hospital that is relatively affordable, it might not have the technology and manpower to handle sensitive cases.

“We remain grateful for the coming of Peace Health Centre. Apart from the fact that it has given us access to good doctors, it provides free and high-quality medical services. It has also saved so many of us.

“Rather than allow the indices in child and maternal morbidity rise, an indigene of the state, Onyishi, took it upon himself and started the Peace Health Centre in Umunkanka part of Nsukka area in the state to provide free medical services for us.”

In a petition the women wrote to the Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, they alleged that the deities in the area perpetrate inhuman acts.

The petition read in part, “A man named Solomon Eze died of HIV as was confirmed by a medical report, but the worshippers of the deity packed the deceased man’s belongings and took them to the shrine, claiming it was the deity that killed him.

“We strongly appeal to Governor Sullivan Chime to look into the gruesome murders, investigate the cases with the aim of uncovering the perpetrators and bringing them to book.

“We also appeal for outright ban on any deity from forcefully marying our women as it violates section 34 (1), 35 (1) and 42 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria and Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.”

Among those listed by the women to have been killed were Eucharia Abugu, Gloria Ugwoke, Caroline Mama, Ijeoma Onu and Mary Onu, all from Inyi community.

At Ikpamodo community, one Christopher Eya was allegedly murdered in cold blood in his house, same as Mabel Itodo of Okpo and a boy named Ntadinma Eze from Amaja community.

The list also included the wife of the traditional ruler of Igogoro that was kidnapped three months ago and has not been seen till date.

The women also stated that at Amachalla and Ugbaike communities, two ladies — Victoria Ugwuanyi and Rosemary Ugwuanyi — were forcefully “married” to a deity called “Iyakpala Ugbaike.”

The chief priest of the deity is alleged to have also forced the daughter of a deceased man to marry him after claiming that the same deity killed her father.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Enugu State Governor, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, declined commenting on the matter. He said that it had been referred to security agencies.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the police were working hard on the matter and that peace would soon be restored to Enugu-Ezike and the entire Nsukka area.

“We have been on this issue, but you must know that it is not something you resolve in a few days. Our investigation has yielded positive results, this is the best I can tell you,” said Amaraizu.