Protest Erupts In Enugu As Anioma Supporters Accuse Ned Nwoko Of Abandonment
A protest erupted in Enugu on Friday as alleged hired supporters of Anioma State accused Senator Ned Nwoko of abandoning them after a Senate public hearing on state creation.
The protesters claimed they were mobilised to attend the hearing in support of a bill seeking the creation of Anioma State but were left stranded without payment after the event.
The hearing, organised by the Senate Committee on State Creation, is part of the ongoing constitutional review by the 10th National Assembly.
Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District, led a delegation in support of the Anioma State creation bill.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Nwoko’s cousin, Michael Nwoko, coordinated the mobilisation of youths and elderly persons from various Anioma communities with promises of transport, feeding, and financial compensation.
However, the protesters alleged that after the hearing, they were not given the promised allowances and were left stranded in Enugu.
“These are people supporting Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North in the National Assembly. We’re not going anywhere until our allowances are duly paid,” one voice said in a video obtained by SaharaReporters.
“They brought people from Anioma in Delta and kept them stranded in Enugu,” another protester added.
When the group reportedly tried to reach Senator Nwoko for clarification, they were referred back to Michael Nwoko, who allegedly attempted to deny the agreed terms, leading to a heated protest.
“This is what Senator Ned Nwoko does—he makes promises and never fulfils them,” an angry youth alleged, adding that the senator had also failed to deliver on earlier promises made to Aniocha youths during his Senate campaign.
Videos from the protest show aggrieved individuals confronting organisers and demanding immediate payment of their allowances.
As of the time of filing this report, Senator Nwoko had yet to comment on the incident.
Meanwhile, a similar presentation for Anioma State creation took place during a parallel hearing in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, where other groups also pushed for restructuring and additional states.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
