Following a recent fall out between the traditional ruler of UMUERI Igwe Ben Emeka (Okebo 11) and The President General of UMUERI Çhief Pius Okonkwo. The Chief Security Officer, CSO, of the palace, Mr. Chukwujekwu Nweke (alias Ezennia) who is alleged to be a notorious thug, led some of his members and descended on the members of the community that were having a peaceful meeting at OYE-MGBAGO – a popular market square at the heart of Ikenga Umueri, shooting sporadically and subsequently arrested and whisked them away to Abuja
According to our impeccable source, a resident of the community, Chukwujekwu Nweke, who led the shooting spree, had earlier on invited police from the INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE SPECIAL TACTICAL SQUAD (we are yet to verify if there was any approval from the office of the INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE).
From the information we gathered, the police team was said to have Come to Anambara state to rescue one Charlie Izuchukwu Odikpo Dieli who information from his family confirmed that he arranged his own kidnapping as strategy to enable the police go against those opposing their camp.
Our team gathered that trouble started when the said Ezennia sold the lands of The Umuokpala Umuonuka kindred to the popular OLD AGUATA UNION HOUSING ESTATE. The family resisted attempts by the union to take possession of the land since they fraudulently purchased some parts of the land without the Consent of the family.
Mr. Nweke we gathered has a history of harassing people with gun at different times. In 2018, he molested his uncle, Sir James Dieli, a 92 years old man who later died of shock, tears and the pains of being beaten by his own brother’s son.
Report also has it that One Emmanuel Oyawu Offordile master minded the invitation of the police into Umueri after they took over all cases relating to land matters involving the UMUOKPALA UMUONUKA KINDRED of EKPE, NNEYI UMUERI in all police stations in Anambra state. The police also freed all suspects in the matter and arrested the 10 family members who are complainants in the matter, the police also withdrew all previous cases before the courts and transferred the cases to their office in 2018.
The head of the Inspector General Special Tactical Squad, Deputy Commissioner of police, Yusuf Kolo charged the 10 complainants (turned suspects) to court at Area Council Court Kubwa where arrangements were made with Justice Salisu Garba who reminded the 10 complainants at Keffi prisons for 9 days before their lawyer Bar. Ejike Efobi filled a motion from the Federal High Court, which vacated the ruling and orders of the Kubwa Area court.
The matter escalated two weeks ago, following a protest staged by the youths of UMUERI over the land matters and other politics of monopoly by the Igwe, who had earlier on sealed off the meeting venue of the town union.
In retaliation, Ezennia led a group of thugs and invaded the meeting venue at OYE MGBAGO and shot many of the youths.
Few hours later he returned with yet to be identified police officers from Abuja and arrested Six persons – some of whom were picked at various hospital they went to seek treatment.
Those arrested and taken to Abuja, after the clampdown include ELUNO DIELI, CHINEDU NWOYE, VICTOR IGWENAGU, OBIORA ONWUESI (victim of gun injury) UGOBU NWABENNE (victim of gun injury), Tochukwu Egboh, and Dumubi Ogbaje Ajekwe (victim of gun injury).
Our Reporter confirmed that the police from Abuja took them to their Abuja office with bullet wounds without allowing them to receive medical attention.
However, reputable lawyers & activists of Umueri extraction have all moved their office to Abuja. Prominent amongst them are Barrister Sylvester Iwuoba and Ambassador Philip Obuesi – a renown human right activist. They were spotted at the office of the Inspector General of Police were they are making efforts to seek the intervention of the Inspector General of Police as the actions of the Deputy Commissioner of police in charge of the SPECIAL TACTICAL SQUAD depicts that of a compromised officer and his continued meddling over land matters – that otherwise should not be part of his job details leaves so much to be imagined.
Our correspondence made efforts to reach the President General of the Umueri community and the Igwe before this report, but all effort proved abortive as their numbers are all switched off as at press time.
