Nimo Women Stage Naked Protest At Anambra Government House, Want Monarch Removed

In a dramatic display of frustration and desperation, hundreds of women from Nimo community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State stormed the Anambra State Government House in Awka on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, staging a naked protest. The women, baring their bodies in a traditional act of extreme dissent, accused their traditional ruler, Owelle Max Ike Oliobi, of illegally selling communal lands and engaging in various other illegalities that have plunged the community into crisis.

The protest, which drew significant attention, was sparked by long-standing grievances over the alleged unauthorized sale of ancestral farmlands by the Owelle and other community leaders. The women, armed with placards and chanting songs of resistance, demanded immediate intervention from Governor Chukwuma Soludo to address what they described as a blatant abuse of power and a threat to their livelihoods.

One of the protesters, Mrs. Ngozi Okochi, who spoke on behalf of the group, lamented the loss of their farmlands, a primary source of sustenance for Nimo families. “Our ancestral lands are being sold out indiscriminately without our notice. We no longer go to farm because there is no more land to farm. They want to force us into prostitution,” she cried out. “They have declared a sit-at-home in Nimo community because we now wake up every day and stay idle at home without any engagement. Farming is our major source of livelihood, and now they have deprived us of that opportunity.”

The women’s grievances, as outlined in a letter addressed to Governor Soludo and attached to this report, detailed a litany of accusations against Owelle Max Ike Oliobi. They alleged that the traditional ruler, in collusion with the President-General of the Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU), Mr. Ekenenna Okafor-Omabor, and members of the royal cabinet, had been selling off communal lands without the consent of the community. The letter further claimed that these actions had provoked unrest among the youths, whose families depend on the lands for survival, and had escalated tensions since January 2023.

“We are here to register our vulnerable condition before the governor to help us address this problem. We want peace in Nimo community,” Mrs. Okochi added, echoing the sentiments of the protesters who bore placards with inscriptions such as “Soludo, Nimo needs your help, please save us,” “All manner of impunities must stop in Nimo,” and “Igwe Maxi Ike Iliobi is bastardizing Nimo culture and traditions.”

The protesters also accused the traditional ruler of high-handedness, claiming that he had resorted to framing dissenters as kidnappers, cultists, and arsonists in frivolous petitions to silence opposition. They further alleged that vigilante operatives were being used as a “private army” to harass individuals, seize properties, and arrest people on flimsy excuses, with those detained forced to pay for their release.

In a particularly damning accusation, the women pointed to an alleged deal in which the Owelle negotiated with the neighboring Eziowelle community to cede approximately 264 plots of individually owned land without the owners’ knowledge or consent. They described this as a breach of their fundamental rights and a continuation of the illegalities plaguing the community.

The protest took a poignant turn as the women stripped naked—a rare and culturally significant act symbolizing the depth of their anguish and their plea for justice. “We have no other option left but to bare it all before the world and our governor,” one protester, who declined to give her name, told Factreporters.com.ng. “If this is what it takes to get help, then so be it.”

While the women were protesting, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, drove into the Government House premises and addressed them in the company of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne. Visibly moved by the demonstration, Prof. Chukwulobelu expressed his dismay at the persistence of the crisis. “I feel bad that this problem persists,” he told the women. He assured them that the state government would take swift action, promising that the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters would immediately inform Governor Soludo about the situation. “We will call the principal actors in this matter to a round table so that a lasting solution will be found,” he added, appealing for calm as the government steps in to mediate.

The women’s group also submitted their petition to the Governor through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, and to the Anambra State House of Assembly through the Chief Whip of the House, flanked by the Clerk of the House. Addressing the press after receiving the petition, Hon. Nwabunwanne acknowledged the protracted nature of the crisis in Nimo, attributing it to the controversial sale of Owa Land. “The issue in Nimo has been protracted, and it stems from the sale of Owa Land,” he stated. He further intimated that he would involve the Commissioner for Lands in the matter to assess the current status of the allegedly sold land and provide clarity on the situation.

The leadership of the Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU) has previously dismissed similar protests as the work of “disgruntled elements” and “hired agitators.” In a statement last year, the NTDU’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Clems Ezedinachi, claimed that the sale of portions of Owa Land—now known as Obodo Oma Estate—had been approved years ago by the Nimo General Assembly and was being managed by a competent committee for the community’s development. The traditional ruler has also denied direct involvement in land sales, asserting that all transactions were transparent and community-driven.

As of the time of this report, neither Owelle Max Ike Oliobi nor the NTDU had issued an official response to the latest protest. The Anambra State Police Command has yet to comment on the allegations of harassment and arrests raised by the women.

The naked protest by the Nimo women underscores the deepening land crisis in the community and raises broader questions about governance, accountability, and the protection of communal rights in Anambra State. As the government deliberates its next steps, the people of Nimo await a resolution that will restore peace and secure their heritage.