Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Scores of women from over 45 groups staged a peaceful protest against serial killing of young women in Rivers State on Wednesday.
The women who were clad in black attire were coordinated by the South-south chapter of Rotary Club International took off from the Secretariat the Rivers Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ to the office of Governor
Nyesom Wike ,asking for the stoppage of serial killings of women in hotels in the state.
Mrs Rita Marley Nkem Idonor and Mrs Ibim Semenitari,a former Commissioner for Information and Communications who spoke on behalf of the women at the gate of Government House, Port Harcourt said they were worried that innocent women, future mothers, sisters were helplessly being killed without serial killers on the loose.
The women said they were in Government House gate to submit their petition to Governor Nyesom Wike who is the Chief Security Officer of the state to do something and stop the killings in State.
The women also demanded an apology from the State Police Command for tagging the victims as mere prostitutes as if that qualifies them to be killed by suspected serial killers unchallenged and not arrested by the police.
Receiving the protesters, Dr Tammy Wenike Danagogo, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, said the governor is deeply concerned about the unfortunate incident.
He said none of those women deserved to die in the manner they are being killed.
The SSG assured that the State Government, through the security agencies, will redouble its efforts to stop to killings.
“We have held several security council meetings with heads of security agencies in the state. All the things you talked about like the Close Circuit Television, CCTV, Cameras, and proper documentations of guests who patronise hotels have all been extensively discussed and action would be taken”
CP Mustapha Dandaura , the Rivers State Police Commissioner, said that 8 female victims have so far been killed in the same circumstances by the yet to be identified killers.
He advised women and mothers to counsel their daughters, sisters and mothers to stay away from the prostitution and from the men or guests that demand “short time” sexual pleasures in hotels or motels.
CP Dandaura declared that from preliminary investigations, the manner of killings suggest that they were being done by ritualists and cultists.
He also assured that in no distant time, the serial killers will be nabbed to face the law.