By Izunna Okafor, Awka
A woman identified as Chioma Ezeme from Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State has reportedly been intercepted in Ogun State while trekking towards Lomé, the capital of Togo, after spending weeks on the road.
The woman, whose journey has attracted attention online following a viral video of her encounter with a good-spirited who offered to assist her, however declined an offer to return to Anambra, insisting that she was an adult and could make decisions about her life.
In the video which is currently trending on social media, the woman, who was said to be mentally challenged, identified herself as Chioma and explained that she was travelling from Anambra State to Lomé on foot.
She was seen speaking with a man who approached her along the road, with the encounter revealing his concern about the distance she had trekked already and the distance she still has to cover before getting to Togo, as well as the risks associated with such a journey.
Chioma, who was seen with a handbag and a bottle of water, said her destination was Lomé, the capital of Togo, further explaining that she usually passed through the Seme Border.
“Lomé is in Togo. When I pass Shagamu, I will enter Togo, and I'll find my way to the place I'm going to,” she recounted during an interaction with the good-spirited individual trying to help her.
According to her, she had spent about a month trekking before reaching Ogun State, which was where the man saw and tried to persuade her to terminate the journey and return home, promising to help reunite her with her family. However, she maintained that she wanted to continue her journey, insisting that she wanted to be left alone.
When asked about her phone, she said she lost it. She was also unable to recall any family member's phone number, through which her people could be contacted and informed of her whereabouts.
Chioma, who sounds very fluent in English as shown in the video, also revealed that her parents were late, maintaining that her journey was a personal matter and had nothing to do with her family.
Investigations by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, revealed that Chioma Ezeme hailed from Okeani village in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Her identity was also corroborated by some social media users, including individuals who claimed to have attended the same school with her as a classmate, describing her as a very brilliant student back then in the school.
Other accounts and investigations further revealed that she had previously worked as a civil servant with the Anambra State Government before getting married and subsequently experiencing difficulties in her marriage.
While she attested to have experienced frustration, the real circumstances that led to her decision to travel to Togo by foot still remain unclear as at the time of this publication.
Reports also showed that this might not be her first time embarking on such a long-distance journey by foot.
While Chioma still had several miles to trek before she could get to Togo from where she was seen in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State; the video, however, did not show what eventually happened after her encounter with the man, particularly with regards to the continuation or the discontinuation of her journey, and whether she was taken to the nearest Police station or not.
Howbeit, the video and Chioma's heart-rending story have continued to generate a chain of reactions on social media, with people calling on those who know her, the leadership of Oko community, and the Anambra State government to quickly intervene and make effort to locate and rescue her, as well as ensure her safe return to Anambra.
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