Outrage has trailed the humiliation of an Ebonyi native, Mr. Michael Eje, who was brutally attacked by youths in Nkpor, Anambra State, after allegedly killing a snake considered sacred in the community.
Eje, a resident of Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was working at a building site when the reptile suddenly lunged at him. Acting in self-defense, he killed it—unaware of the local tradition forbidding such an act.
However, instead of being commended for saving himself, the Ebonyi indigene was paraded, beaten, forced to chant dirges for the snake, and fined ₦50,000. His wife, equally traumatized, described the ordeal as deeply humiliating.
Reacting to the viral video of the incident, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District, condemned the attack as barbaric and unacceptable. He urged Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, to immediately denounce the act and ensure justice is served.
Senator Nwebonyi also directed the leadership of the Ebonyi State Indigenes Association in Anambra, led by Chief Moses Ofoke, to document the victim’s full account for proper intervention. He warned that the rights of Ebonyians in other states must be respected, stressing that such humiliation in the 21st century is intolerable.
Grateful for the senator’s swift response, Eje appealed for justice and protection of non-indigenes living and working in Anambra communities.
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