A pregnant woman identified as Mrs. Mmesoma Odili has miscarried and lost her pregnancy while in detention at the Zone 13 Police Headquarters, Ukpo, Anambra State, News About Nigeria reports.
It was reported that Mrs. Odili, who hails from Umuosiegbo village, Umunya, in the Oyi local government area of the state, was in police custody for eight days after the police failed to find her husband over a land dispute.
An indigene of the community, Mr. Jude Ikeanyionwu, who spoke to newsmen, noted that the land dispute has led to a lot of angst among members of the community and torn the area apart.
He also noted that Mmesoma’s husband is a member of the community’s vigilante group and one of those opposed to the illegal attempt to sell their communal land by some of the elders of the community.
He stated that Mmesoma had been taken when the police officers came to arrest those who were opposed to selling the lands and could not find her husband.
“The situation in our kindred now is that those who want to sell our land by force have been harassing us with police from Abuja, such that all the men in the village no longer sleep in their houses for fear of arrest.
“We have no other land, which was why a decision was taken to share the large expanse with the various families, which has been done. It is, therefore, surprising that my uncle, who was chairman of the kindred, insisted on selling the land when we and our children have no other land to lay hands on,” he said.
Ikeanyionwu also stated that Mmesoma had suffered a miscarriage and lost her three-month-old pregnancy during her time in police custody and was only released when she almost lost her life while still in detention.
He, therefore, called on the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and other stakeholders in the state, to intervene in the worrisome situation before it leads to the loss of more lives.
