Protesting women numbering over 50 from Obodoukwu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State have locked up the Bolingo Ranch Hotel in the same council area for allegedly harbouring hoodlums suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network, (ESN).

The angry women while barricading the hotel on Saturday expressed fear that it would be dangerous for any hotel in their community to harbour such a group of people particularly now that security agencies are searching for them.

But the management of the hotel has described the action of the women as blackmail intended to mislead the public.

According to the Managing Director of the hotel, Emeka Madueke, the women were being deceived by their enemies who wanted to forcefully quit them from the premises of the hotel.

Madueke in his explanation said: “The former owner of the hotel after leasing the hotel for 20 years decided to take it back before the expiration of the lease period.

“Because the owners of the hotel resisted, they now have to cook up the story of harbouring kidnappers to the gullible women.

“They took us to the traditional ruler that the hotel is a den of kidnappers, after the investigation, they found out that what they accused us of was not true.”

When approached to verify reasons for their action, the women who were in their numbers refused to talk to journalists, rather attacked them and ordered them to leave their community.