By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyenkachukwu
Women in Oviri Olomu Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, have declared a sex and domestic strike following what they described as continued attacks by suspected herdsmen.
In a bold protest on Tuesday, the women marched to the Ughelli Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force, demanding urgent government intervention to end the wave of violence, sexual assault, and farmland destruction allegedly perpetrated by armed herders in their once peaceful agrarian community.
The women announced they would suspend cooking, sexual relations with their husbands, and economic activities, including market trading, until the government deploys concrete security measures to protect their lives and property.
“For too long, we have endured in silence,” said Esther Monday, a community women leader. “They rape our women and our visitors. Our men cannot enter the bush or farm anymore because it is unsafe. That is why we are on strike—no food, no sex, no peace until something changes.”
Confirming the protest, former community secretary-general Austin Etata echoed the women’s grievances: “Our women have made it clear—no cooking, no intimacy, and no trading until the government and security agencies intervene. That’s why we are here at the Ughelli Area Command today.”
Etata described the security situation as alarming, alleging that suspected herdsmen have turned Oviri Olomu into a hotspot for kidnappings and rape.
“There’s even a bush path that is now impassable due to frequent abductions,” he said. “They destroy our cassava farms to feed their cattle, and when our men protest, the herders brandish guns and machetes.”
Community Vice President Emmanuel George also expressed deep concern: “We are tired. These herdsmen are staking claims to our land and threatening to kill our people. Even when the women beg, they threaten violence. We cannot accept this anymore.”
The protesters appealed to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the police authorities to fully enforce the anti-open grazing law and end the siege on their community.
Addressing the protesters, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ughelli ‘A’ Division assured the women that their complaints would be taken seriously.
“We understand your pain and frustration. The police will not ignore your cries,” the DPO stated. “We are planning a peace meeting between Fulani leaders and your community leaders as soon as possible to build understanding and restore calm.”