NCWS national president, Mrs. Zainab Maina, maintained that evidence abound to confirm that the military officers who occupied the community did abuse and rape the women,she called on the Federal Government to conduct a thorough investigation and punish the culprits.

She spoke yesterday at a press conference in Abuja which was organised to address national issues."What we know and are sure of is that the women in Choba have been raped and abused and we are calling on the Federal Government (because it has the apparatus to do so) to investigate and bring out the perpetrators. There should be no sacred cows. They should be fished out and punished.

Maintaining that the allegations of impropriety levelled against the military personnel in Choba could not be controverted, the NCWS president said. "We have our networks in every part of the country and we have a way of finding out about everything. While we don't want to be drawn into controversy, what we know is that they were raped and abused."

Mrs Maina also deplored the increasing rate of violence in the country, citing the military occupation of Odi community in Bayelsa, killings in Lagos, Kano and Sagamu.

Regretting the military operation in Odi and the unfortunate incidence which necessitated it, she called on Nigerians to exercise restraint while urging the Federal Government to immediately begin the rehabilitation of the women and children displaced by the disturbances. Mrs Maina warned "Whoever is fanning the embers of ethnic violence should know that when it goes full circle it will turn to an inferno and consume almost everybody. We appeal to everyone to tamper their actions with caution. We are indeed worried and pray for reason to prevail."