About 16 members of Agunese Mmaku Community in the Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State accused of bringing unknown gunmen in army uniform to the community have run to Court for protection.
The gunmen were allegedly brought to disrupt the Town Union election scheduled to hold in December last year.
The members of ‘Comittee of 16’ who have refused to appear before the DSS and the police over the allegation surprisingly, in a report monitored in Enugu, went to court to enforce their human rights.
In a matter allegedly filed at the federal High Court in Enugu the complainants accused the traditional ruler, member House of Assembly Hon Chukwuobasi, and other persons, as well as security agencies of intimidation and harrastment.
The complainants Odina Oke and seventeen others are asking for “An order of the Court restraining the 5th-8th Respondents from arresting, harassing, intimidating the applicants or infringing on their
rights.
Reacting, the traditional ruler HRH IGWE CYPRIL MADUABUCHI NEVOBASI expressed shock that people who are running from the law are asking for court protection.
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The well respected traditional ruler who said he has not been served, explained that “the affected persons have been on the run after bringing unknown gunmen to my kingdom during the botched town union election on 30th December, 2021.
‘The gunmen were kitted in military fatigue. They also brought gunmen in black suites.
“Their reason for bringing unknown gunmen was just to hijack the election and install their preferred candidate.
“I also got to know that before that election day, they had already contributed a whopping sum of N6 million with which they will fight and bring down anyone who doesn’t align with their thoughts.
“So, the presence of the gunmen coupled with the charged atmosphere as well as the security report I got from security operatives, led me to postpone that election and appointing a caretaker committee that will conduct the election in April.
“Membership of this committee was drawn from every village in my community. But those who were bent on setting the community ablaze said some persons in that committee must be removed before they would recognize them. Their reason is because they are having personal problem with such persons.
“After cancelling the election, I called a meeting of various elders and village leaders and demanded to know who brought unknown gunmen to the community. Initially, they denied any knowledge of who sent the gunmen. But I when I asked them what they were doing with the N6 million they contributed, some of them opened up.
“These people who are now on the run, admitted and said the gunmen were not the unknown one, saying that they’re soldiers. I now demanded to see the approval letter from the GOC or the Garrison Commanders. But none was able to bring it. I reported them to the police and asked them to go there and explain.
“Since that time, all of them have been under hiding. I learned that they wrote letter to the governor. If they like let them write letter to heaven. They must come and answer questions for wanting to set my community ablaze.
“I don’t have problem with any of them. The only issue I have with them is, go to the police or DSS and show them the approval letter with which you got the military to come to my community to monitor town union election. That’s all. And I will never let it lie low until they do the needful. If not, they will continue running. Security agents are on their trail.
“Already, they have formed a parallel leadership in the community by their activities.”
The names of the complainants:
CHIEF CHUKA OCHIE
CHIEF ODINAKA OKOLI
OKAFOR PADDY CHIJIOKE
ENGR UGOCHUKWU OKOLI
CHIEF RODERICK OGBONNA
CHIEF BEDE NEVOBASI
HON CHUKWU THEOPHILUS
CHIEF EMMA OKEKE
CHIEF VITALIS OKOLIE
MR BENIGNUS OKOLIE
CHIEF CHUKWUBE OKOLI
MR DAVID OKEKE
MR BATH UZOIGWE
MR OBASI OFORKA
MR UGOCHUKWU ANUKA
ANIAWA MARCEL
CHIJIOKE P OKAFOR
JAMES OKOLI
ISREAL OKOLI
