Nigerian woman narrates the humiliating harassment she and her mother suffered in the hands of Onitsha traders | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Saturday 8 July 2017

Nigerian woman narrates the humiliating harassment she and her mother suffered in the hands of Onitsha traders

Earlier in the year, women in Lagos petitioned state house of assembly over continued harassment by male traders (read here). The petition resulted from a series of online posts from different women complaining about being touched and pulled inappropriately by men in market places.

Sadly, it seems this attitude is not restricted to Lagos alone. A woman resident in Anambra State has shared the sad story of how she and her mum were nearly mobbed by traders in a market in Onitsha.

She said her mum had been touched inappropriately by one of the men and when she confronted him, he and others in the market turned on mother and daughter and began to ridicule them. From her post, it can be gathered that this is not the first time she will be encountering such.

What's worrisome is that some people took to the comment section to criticise her and her mother for confronting the disrespectful man. Read the rest of her narrative below.

69 comments:

James said...

Too bad, I think the state government will need to look into this because this not cool at all. Poor woman

Anonymous said...

pls I don't really know where this fall into though I just need to pour out my heart to someone,I need a change of story in my life but things aren't working on well for me in life though I don't really know what the problem actually its. Everything I does in life its always at the late hours when my mates must have pass through that stage, I started working as a secretary immediately after my secondary education with the hope of saving to get into the university but all to no avail because whenever I save up it normally end up on one expense or the other or for feeding because things are that bad for me and my family. This was how I fortfeit going back to school due to lack of finance,though I have it in mind in learning a skill but no fund to even start up because as I am now my life its somehow in a confused stage . Most times I think about my life so deeply ,its this how am going to end up.I normally feel bad. Am tired of my life I just need to learn a skills so i can have my own business or am just thinking of opening a little business I can be doing but I don't know how I can manage raise such fund. I just need a change of story in my life, have suffered enough,at least things should work in my favor if not for anything at least for the sake of almighty God whom I serve. Please I need an assistant in learning a skills or to open something little doing and i need advice as well,maybe there is somewhere am missing out, please do not ignore my message. Have wasted so many years struggling with life and have not yet gotten anywhere,nothing to show for my struggles. Here is an email I can be reached with.maden4302@gmail.com

Obioha Nnamdi said...

Yu definitely must be a True FEMINIST...

On behave of gentlemen, I apologize 4 dem. Bt, yu conveniently opted out that majority of women deliberately prey on men psychology... #DressMode-Wise.
Fully & comfortable with the awareness that "WOMEN ARE AS EMOTIONAL! AS MEN RE MOVED BY SIGHT".


So, how fair is that to us male folk.

And what annoys me the most, is that feminism doesn't tk into account the 'Tease - consciousness!' of women by the public sexual attitude they portray.

Lionel C said...

So pathetic. We still av a long way to go...#GodHelpUs

Anonymous said...

I've shouted about this issue so much to the point that I am tired.

Unknown said...

I've been a victim severally. It's not something you get used to but unfortunately you have to. These are illiterates, uncouth men.

OSHEYtv said...

issorite let's see what happens!!! http://osheytv.com

OSHEYtv said...

Wow this is just unbearable

OSHEYtv said...

😲😲😲😲😲😲 this was too much..

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

It is well o


... Merited happiness

Anonymous said...

This is beyond sad. This is appalling. If this isn't nipped in the bud,public raping will now hold with applause by the spectators who won't raise a finger to help the real victims.

Ike Louisa said...

That is always market people and by the time you know it they termed them(women) to be criminals best is to ignore them and go your way.

Anonymous said...

This is very wrong and annoying!!

FRESH said...

My Igbo people are chauvinistic. It is worse when you encounter stark illiterates which is also a mitigating factor.Nigerian men truly do not know how to behave towards women.

Anonymous said...

How about start inside Naija homes by raising boys to be decent human beings: show respect to their sisters, moms and aunties; teach them to cook, clean and perform chores traditionally relegated to the girl-child in addition to other expectations. Importantly, Naija women, especially those fortunate to see the four walls of a university need to stop hiding behind marriage/or making marriage a do or die affair. These and more are some of the issues in Naija society and the young, educated women need to step up and resolve them bcos the average Naija man will not do it. Why should he when almost all the cards are in his favor bcos Naija women, particularly, so-called enlightened women gave up their power a long time ago for the pleasures of life. Haven't you heard, everything in life has a price tag? QED@atm

Unknown said...

My dear. So sorry. I most times don't go to onitsha markets because of how u re touched and harassed by these touts. I work in onitsha but reside in Asaba. A woman also did it to me once, I almost fell from her push at Emeka offor phone market because I threw her hand off when she held me. I don't know if this is an orientation but it's annoying. How do we change this? Am sooooo interested.

Anonymous said...

Very disturbing trend in big markets especially the clothes section. A few years ago, I witnessed a similar incidence @ oshodi market. Traders were touching virtually all the ladies that passed thru dat particular line I was. I felt very irritated and confronted one of them. He asked me 'na ur sister'? And the other traders chorused same after him.I left! A few walk down d line, I saw d most bizarre harassment: A young lady passing by was being touched and in her private part too. When I got home, I warned my sisters never to go to that market! I guess the best way to stop this is for responsible ladies to go to real shops/ boutiques to buy their clothes rather than the open market. I said 'responsible' bcos some ladies enjoy the touchings because iv seen some giggling while being touched.

Unknown said...

Hmm
-D great anonymous now as Vivian Reginalds

Unknown said...

Sad one indeed!
Men and ezuzuyari Ka anu ofia!!!
Smh
-D great anonymous now as Vivian Reginalds

Anonymous said...

And you people seeking succession, when you are not even civilized. aje Ku Iya lema je

parrot said...

It's this same vile men in Lagos I am sorry to say. They have not been trained well and the disgusting part is how ugly they are. Abeg Hausa men don't drag like this. Yoruba men respect themselves but these men ehn pervs.

Anonymous said...

One man's "action" becomes an issue of every man in the market. This is one side of the story. Who will speak for the guy.. It is easy to crucify those who can't defend themselves.
+ there is an authority in every market and these miscreants fear them. Ur mom should have raised the alarm and gone to report. But "fighting" in a market and picking another fight in the middle of the first.. Aunty, that's not a winning formula

Anonymous said...

Aunty.. Are u visiting the market for the first time? U can't rubbish every guy in the market but ur mom picked a fight with two. Was she the only mother or jeans wearer at the market at that particular point in time

YahooBoy said...

There is a time to be wise. You think all the men in the place feel good knowing they have wives and daughters at home? You think? You have to be wise because that's a crowd. Nobody cooks for the crowd and overfeeds them, it's just not possible.

You want a man to come out to defend you and possibly get lynched because it's a market and there are thugs there. One wrong word and a slap comes, everyone slaps and story will change to 'he is a thief'. Will you raise your voice to say he is just trying to defend you then? I understand your pain but you lost me the part you started talking about enablers and 'Not All Men'. You want people to see through your eyes but you don't want to see through theirs.

Your harassment is not worth any man losing his life over. Get a police and arrest a few of them and watch their pride fall short but don't come here talking rubbish about enablers inside a f***king crowd. You want to kill an innocent person?

Mr 47 said...

So this is what Biafra will be like? Well their problem not mine...

Anonymous said...

Onitsha is the worst place to go to in Nigeria, I avoid there

Anonymous said...

Igbo people behave like animals most times

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the ugly incident. However, stop extending the ugly act from these animals to include all men. Just limit it to the Ibo animals that perpetrated it, because that's what they really are. Very uncivil folks.
You all will be sent parking from the North and SouthWest to your land to help you speed up the actualization of your Biafraud. Don't you think that's a great help.

Anonymous said...

Onitsha is the last place i can raise my kids.. when ppl say lagos is tough i tell them you havent been to onitsha ... I am an igbo boy but i hate onitsha.

Unknown said...

D first two pple to comment just had 2 show us dat it's hard 2 resist showing STUPIDITY wen it's in yhur blood...didn't yhuu hear her jus say we should try n avoid discrimination n jus focus on d wrong act? Fools

Unknown said...

You're a very big FOOL with the capital letter F for saying igbo people behave like animals. Zombie like you.

Anonymous said...

When igbos want to annoy you, they'll do it to the fullest and say a lot of infuriating tthings. I hate them sometimes. Most times they are ok

Anonymous said...

How can you be this slow? Lots of you only read to post a comment not to understand.who would go to the market to pick a fight. The post is basically about two things:
1) Inappropriate touch by market traders (men especially)
2)Harassment and humiliation from co-traders for complaning about it.
She posted her experience, if you believe she's wrong ask females around you about their experience in the market before you conclude or say what you don't have facts on. Please improve on your reading and understanding skills don't die dumb.

Anonymous said...

Story story story, if u have a psychological problem see a psychologist (I happen to be one) a person dressing a way that suits her has nothing to do with ur perversity, besides, why touch a woman who isn't ur wife? Cause she wore trouser?, so if ur mum wears trousers u will get an erection and rape her? Then u need Jesus.

Anonymous said...

The igbo traders at tejuosho do it, me i'm pregnant, so it's a very long unattractive gown I wore to the market yet they were making nasty comments and touching me, till my mum shouted at them, as opposed to the yorubas there who won't even chase u, or the hausas who would chase u but never touch u, ever. So it's not the dressing, it's just the mentality

Anonymous said...

YOU ARE A DARN ILLITERATE IMBECILE FOR THIS DUMBASS STATEMENT. JUST GO AND HIDE FROM HUMANITY OR BETTER STILL BURY YOUR DAFT SELF!

Anonymous said...

Some girls dressed inappropriately and came to tejuosho, then the igbo boys started acting like they were the only ones that saw them, hooting, howling and barking like dogs, then the igbo man selling stuff to me said in igbo, that it is them that sell these clothes to these girls and tell them if they wear it and people see them, they are considered sexy, so why complain?

Anonymous said...

that
upper
iweka
please
never
walk around
there
get
bike

Anonymous said...

Hausa men can't touch u, at least not publicly, I don't think their religion allows, the yorubas won't chase u, maybe they might just greet u when u pass their shop to get ur attention, knowing that a lot of people like me, choose politeness over aggression

Agbomen said...

Beautiful contribution!👍

Anonymous said...

They randomly select, unfortunately her mum was selected that day

Unknown said...

Very embarrassing
They do worse in benin city specifically new benin market...
The molest and harress women passing there properly dressed or not and you try to argue with them,that will just make things even worse

Anonymous said...

Yes oh, our biafra

Anonymous said...

I avoid the east entirely and to think I'm part igbo by birth and igbo by marriage, they are more babaric than the original babarians

Anonymous said...

When they drag u and u remove ur hand, they will start saying u are ugly and stuff like that

Joyous babe,Linda Ikeji First Cousin said...

Is always like that ln d market places, it can be so annoying i just pray d state govt shld do smthing about it.

Anonymous said...

Shut up ur mouth u bastard. I am a man but u hate it when I see men act like this. I guess u are one of those igbo traders that feel that attitude is normal till the day you will touch a military man wife, girlfriend or daughter. Your eyes go clear that day

Chommy said...

Mr "men are moved by sight", since when did you loose your self control? It's your type that will sexually harrase or even rape a female because of how they are dressed. If someone dors same to your sister will you like it? If you have the opportunity to travel outside Nigeria and you see people that go almost naked during summer, i dare you to harrase them. Why don't the men in those countries (where women go naked in the name of fashion) harrase the women there. It's this mentality that's preventing this country from moving forward.

Anonymous said...

Government must wade into female harassment in public places by these pigs. It happens in all the states by ibos not just in the east

Anonymous said...

Na today? I remember telling my Dad that I would love to carry a knife or at least blade to cut anyone that touches me. And he talked me out of it. Thank God I rarely have to pass through onitsha these days. It happens at yaba too.

Anonymous said...

U are an idiot

talk2frankky said...

You be bastard sha and you aint afraid to flaunt it.

Anonymous said...

A fool u are. Linda post o. People shouldn't be talking about what they don't know. It was on this blog that I realized how depraved a lot of Nigerians are. Hometraining is not a joke

historyworld6060 said...

I sorry for Biafrans, ,it is obvious is going to be a lawless Country.with the way the Igbos are behaving when it comes to defending themselves against other tribs

Anonymous said...

Foolish response by a foolish person.In other words in ur remark of convenience-her mum dressed inappropriately,therefore since the man was moved by sight he had to touch her.You are very foolish.The level of decadence in our young men starting You shows as a generation we have a long way to go.The nuisance that's Yaba boys have been causing harrasing students,women and even children going there way has become a cause of concern.What of the park at Jibowu,those ones can lynch you if you complain about their inappropraite remarks and harassment.Those idiotic boys are an embarrasment to the ibo folks n I am hoping that this becomes a matter of discourse soon so that are eradicated from the society.Meanwhile,You should be arrested and taken off the street as you are potential rapist since your sight control ur senses.#Anuofia

Anonymous said...

You brain is condensed....Your question shows ur level of foolishness.No she was the only skirt wearer.#Anuofia

Anonymous said...

You are a yahoo boy,you cannot be any better.Ur morals are probably on the same level as those men.#Anuofia

Unknown said...

I have just informed the chairman of the market in onitsha and he was not happy at all. He will dispatch their security to that point where this happened to get information and pleaded that the woman should have reported the matter to the security house.

Anonymous said...

You're a BIG FOOL

Anonymous said...

Obioha, your statement is shocking. It is the reason people like the lady and her mother experience what they did. Everyone dresses to look nice and attractive. Men and women. That is no signal for sexual harassment. Even those who wear iro and buba work to look nice and attractive in it. Some men feel attracted to that. Should they sexually assault those women too? Please check yourself

Anonymous said...

God bless you

Anonymous said...

Authority in a market yes, but don't forget the narrator said she and her mum were passing a bus park by the road not a shop. If it was a shop yes they can report this is one tout no one even knows where to find him afterwards.

Anonymous said...

My dear the day i went to onitsha i vowed never to go there again. As we dropped from the park omg like 5 men from no where rubbed my breast and and butt that i began to cry. And they said we want biafra with these touts in the east? I also remember when i was in school in owerri oh gosh when i go to market the molestation is just too much, to be a woman in nigeria is really hard. Ibo youths needs a mental overhaul before they clamor for stupid biafra. Touts!

Anonymous said...

Count me out of that rubbish Biafra. I am Igbo but I hate Igbos and this is one of the reasons. Bunch of illiterate traders who have no respect for their seniors. Imagine touching some ones mother Inapprioprately. I live in Abuja they dare not try it here. I will make sure that while line is locked up.

Anonymous said...

No need abusing him. You know he is right. I am Igbo by the way and I hate the mentality of Igbo illiterate men esp these traders. Biafra my foot. God punish all Biafra agitators. They want us to join them in this rubbish hell hole they want to live in? Long live a better Nigeria.

Anonymous said...

Than you mr Ike- please be a voice for sexual harrasments to stop in the market your help is highly aprreciated.

Some Guy said...

@Obioha this has nothing to do with feminism you fucking moron.

So cos you don't have basic self control means women should not dress how they want?

You're a dumb ass piece of disgusting shit. Fuck boy.

So you gonna hump err'thing that moves eh? Your brain is bad and you should feel bad. Stupid ass bitch.

PS: I'm a fucking man, so this is not a bias thing.

Anonymous said...

Perverts always find a justification. Fix your perversion.

Anonymous said...

I swear if them try this with does Alahji wife, chai maybe naa that day onitsha market will be an history for east. Or make them try am with all this emir wife.una go knw say water pass garri. Am not igbo but I can't tell you there ways of doing things. When it comes to sexual harassment I don't know may be dem use am swear for them oo. Make them never use eyes see women. It affects there inner brains. It just so unfortunatel that the bad stupid fellows hav spoil the good ones. And to be sincere the indigbos don't love themselves at all... It not there fault. But it just a life where they cherished money materials things sexual intercourse.than women life.

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