Widow Beaten And Accused Of Witchcraft, Rescued

One Amarachi Okechi, who was accused of witchcraft and assaulted for several days has been rescued by wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Okezie Ikpeazu.

This comes after a video went viral on social media capturing the moment Okechi, an alleged widow, was being flogged by youths in the Umueghu Amaegbuato community of Nkpa in Bende Local Government Area of the state.

Chief Press Secretary, Chika Ojiegbe in a statement on Monday said that Mrs. Ikpeazu rescued the woman and arranged for her to be taken to a hospital for treatment.

Ojiegbe said, “the First lady Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu is particularly thankful to the member representing Bende South, Emmanuel Ndubuisi, the Bende LGA Chairman and his wife Mrs Leticia Onwuchekwa, as well as the traditional ruler of the area, for the role in successfully extricating the woman from the volatile area”.

Minority Leader of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu described the act as barbaric and wondered why the community should take laws into their hands.

He also called on the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Janet Agbede, to immediately arrest all those involved in the dastardly act.

The lawmaker also pledged to liaise with the DPO in Bende and Uzuakoli and officials of government from the area to ensure that all involved are identified, arrested, and punished according to the law.