…Town Union PG Aspirant Alleges Sponsored Mob Action Against PDP Supporters
Leaders, elders, women, and youth from various Eha-Amufu communities have rallied together against the protests and actions of Eha-Ohuala women from Eha-Amufu Ward III, labelling them as politically motivated.
This mobilisation follows recent events that purportedly corroborate earlier claims that the activities of Eha-Ohuala women—a stronghold of the Labour Party and home to the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 election—were politically charged.
In a similar vein, human rights activist and Women Aids Collective-trained paralegal Mr. Richard Ogenyi expressed his concerns in a voice note that circulated widely on Thursday. He lamented the attacks on dissenting voices and those perceived as political opponents, including his wife and children, after they informed visiting journalists that there had been no recent mass killings in Eha-Amufu, contradicting claims made by the protesting women in viral videos.
Reports from Eha-Amufu on Thursday and Friday morning indicate that leaders, women, and youth from other Eha-Amufu communities have accused the Eha-Ohuala women of misleading neighbouring villages into believing their protests were against herders’ excesses, only to reveal that the true motivation was local Town Union politics and political control of Isi-Uzo.
They accused the Eha-Ohuala women of framing PDP members in Eha-Amufu Ward III, but stated that PDP supporters were instructed by Council Chairman Hon. Obiora Obeagu to refrain from retaliation or taking the law into their own hands.
“These women targeted the PG of Mgbuji Community, and one of them was overheard saying, ‘… Ndu Labour ga achinata Mgbuji’, suggesting that the Labour Party must assume control of Mgbuji Town Union.
“Many are being misled by herder-related sentiments, unaware of the actual situation in Mgbuji, Eha-Amufu. The truth is that Mgbuji is not the only community in Isi-Uzo grappling with herder issues for over 15 years. Both Eha-Ohuala and Mgbuji exemplify communities that are self-destructing. The truth is coming to light,” said a local who wished to remain anonymous.
Meanwhile, Richard Ogenyi, in his viral voice note, alerted listeners to how his children were locked out and his wife was forcibly taken to the village market and humiliated by rampaging women, all because she supported Dr. Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 gubernatorial election instead of their kinsman, Chijioke Edeoga.
He stated, “My name is Richard Ogenyi from Mgbuji, Eha-Amufu, a human rights activist and WACOL-trained paralegal. Since the conclusion of the 2023 Enugu State gubernatorial election, these hoodlums have been threatening anyone they perceive as an enemy or political opponent in Eha-Amufu. Last week, about 30 journalists from various media houses visited Eha-Amufu on a fact-finding mission concerning the issues caused by herdsmen in our community. Everyone who granted interviews has faced backlash from uninformed women being manipulated by their sponsors.
“This morning, March 20, 2025, they came after me, and since I wasn’t home, they took my wife hostage and dragged her to Afor Mgbuji market, where she is currently being humiliated.
“I urge all authorities, including the digital projects governor of Enugu State, to come to our aid immediately.”
Reports indicate that Ogenyi informed the visiting journalists that aside from isolated incidents, such as the killing of an undergraduate and the rape of a woman in February, security has been steadily improving under Governor Mbah’s administration and the leadership of Council Chairman Hon. Obiora Obeagu.
He asserted that recent mass killings and arsons, as portrayed by the protesters on social media, did not occur.
“From my perspective, the protests against the herders’ invasion stemmed from the fact that this area, called Orie Ogbete or Orie Uzo Ugbo Mgbuji, was once lively before the herders displaced us in 2022.
“As an objective observer, I can say that the women’s actions raised awareness. However, there was certainly a political element to the protest, and I disapprove of that aspect as they ought to have concentrated on the main issue. For instance, I’m astonished to hear reports of hundreds being killed in Eha-Amufu recently. The truth is that since the events of 2022, we have not experienced the levels of violence being circulated.
“Under the leadership of Hon. Obiora Obeagu and the administration of Governor Mbah, we have seen significant improvements in security, and incidents of insecurity have drastically decreased,” he told reporters.
Recall that earlier in the week, women from Eha Ohuala attacked and stripped Mr. Israel Mgborogwu, a prominent member of the PDP and community leader. They accused him of selling community land, accepting money to orchestrate killings, and concealing information about alleged mass murders and arson in Eha Amufu—allegations he firmly denied.
Mr. Mgborogwu had already received clearance from the electoral committee to contest for the PG position.
It is now believed that he is being targeted by anti-PDP factions who seek to appoint a Labour Party member as the President-General of the Community Town Union. They are allegedly instigating mob action among the women to undermine him and thwart his ambitions, banking on the assumption that the authorities would not act decisively against them, given their gender.
