Groups of women on Wednesday marched to the Government House in Port
Harcourt to protest the killing of young women in Rivers State hotels.
The women, who were clad in black attire, called for an end to the
situation. About eight young women have been murdered in different
hotels in the past two months in the state.
The bodies of these ladies were said to have been found in similar
conditions – strangled and with a white piece of cloth tied around
their necks.
The protesters said everybody, including sex workers, “deserve the
right to life and should not be killed in such a gruesome manner”.
A similar protest was staged on Monday by a group of women at the
police headquarters in the state.
Addressing the protesters, deputy commissioner of police in the state,
Chucks Enwonwu, asked them to educate other women to desist from
prostitution as it makes them easy targets to prey on.
His remarks, however, did not go down well with Nigerians who
criticised him for “describing the victims as prostitutes”.
Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, said security agents were working
to ensure that the killings stop, and that the perpetrators would be
made to face the wrath of the law.
Speaking on Wike’s behalf, Secretary to the State Government, Tammy
Dangogo, said the security agencies have been mandated to work with
hotels to end the ugly situation.
“In no distant time, the Rivers State Security Council will end the
ugly trend,” Dangogo said.
“The Rivers government through relevant agencies is embarking on mass
sanitisation of the people on security measures.”
