Thousands of women and students of the University of Uyo have been in solidarity march on Tuesday and Wednesday over the slain job seeker, Miss Iniubong Umoren.
The protesters marched through the Town Campus of Uniuyo all dressed in black, chanting and singing to express their bitterness and condemn the gruesome murder.
The women on Wednesday took over Uyo metropolis singing dirges and chanting, “we want justice for Iniubong”, “justice for one is justice for all,” “no more rape, no more gender violence,”
They also carried placards with inscriptions that say “#Stand in Solidarity with Akwa Ibom State women and demand justiceforIniubongUmoren,” “#Rape is a crime punishable by law” among others
The solidarity walk was led by the State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Dr Ini Adiakpan; Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Mrs Felicia Bassey; the State Chairman of International Federation of Women Lawyer (FIDA) Barr. Emem Etteh,the among others.
Numbering about 2000, the women marched from the City center of Uyo, Ibom Plaza to Nwaniba, Brook Street to Government House along Wellington Bassey Way.
Addressing the crowd at Willington Bassey Way, the Wife of the Governor, Dr Martha Emmanuel, assured them of justice on the death of Iniubong Umoren and other issues of rape and domestic violence in the state.
“I am pained about the brutal murder of our daughter, Iniubong Umoren and all others. We have done everything we could to stop the menace of harassing our children, mothers and sisters, but, it seems we are doing nothing.”
“For this singular act, we are saying ‘enough is enough’. Iniubong has paid the final price; this will not happen again and I want to tell you that this monster and all the accomplices will not go unpunished.”
Also the State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Mrs Felicia Bassey decried the injury done to the family of late Iniubong Umoren, stressing that the crime must be seriously dealt with.
She urged the women to leverage on the law against gender-based violence and report any act of harassment to appropriate authorities for swift action
The Commissioner Women Affairs, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, lamented that cases of sexual molestation and harassment have reached a crescendo and must be stopped.
