Igbo women under the aegis of the Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, have appealed to the Federal Government to withdraw the soldiers deployed across checkpoints in the South-East region.
They said the soldiers are constituting more problems rather than solving them, adding that they are more interested in extorting money from motorists and harassing commuters against what they were assigned to do.
The Igbo women noted with regret the humiliation of commuters on the roads by forcing them to disembark from their vehicles and cross checkpoints on foot before rejoining their vehicles.
They wondered why such humiliating practice should be seen only in the South-East, asking what offense Ndigbo committed to be subjected to such humiliation.
Speaking to newsmen in Enugu, the President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie wondered why the soldiers sent to Igbo land to tackle insecurity have literally abandoned their mission to engage in extortion and humiliation of the people of the region.
The women said it was always embarrassing to note that criminals would attack and abduct people at points not far from some of these checkpoints yet they would not be apprehended.
“Since they have failed to secure the people they were asked to protect, we demand that the Federal Government withdraw them immediately, police should be encouraged to protect the people as they are more approachable than soldiers who are always harsh on the people, irrespective of age,” Lolo Chimezie said.