In a bold protest on Wednesday, women of Oviri Olomu community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State announced a sex and cooking strike, vowing to withhold domestic and market duties until security is restored in their troubled community.

 

The women, dressed in black, stormed the Ughelli Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force to decry persistent attacks by suspected armed herdsmen, whom they accuse of turning their peaceful agrarian village into a haven of terror.

 

“For too long, we have been raped, our farms destroyed, our lives threatened,” said one of the protesters. “Until something is done, there will be no cooking, no trading, and no intimacy with our husbands.”

 

Chanting slogans and carrying placards, the women demanded full enforcement of the Delta State anti-open grazing law, and urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and security agencies to act swiftly.

 

Community leaders expressed deep frustration. Emmanuel George, the community’s Vice President, revealed that herders have claimed ownership of local lands and now roam with impunity.

 

“When our women try to reason with them, they threaten to slit their throats,” George said.

 

Another leader, Esther Monday, shared harrowing stories of women and even guests being sexually assaulted. “Our men can’t farm anymore. The bush paths are now kidnapping zones. We’ve had enough,” she declared.

 

Austin Etata, a former community secretary, summed it up starkly: “No food, no sex, no peace until the government acts.”

 

In response, the Divisional Police Officer of Ughelli ‘A’ Division acknowledged the community’s grievances and assured that their complaints would not be ignored. He promised to initiate peace talks between Fulani leaders and the Oviri Olomu community.

 

“We feel your pain,” the DPO said. “We will work to restore calm and protect your community.”

 

As the protest continues, the women of Oviri Olomu have made one thing clear: until action is taken, their strike will hold.