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• Seeks Otti’s intervention on actions against community by aides
From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Youths and women of Idima Abam of Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia States have expressed their dissatisfaction over the continuos arrest, harrasment and intimidation of people of the community.
Addressing newsmen in his palace after a peaceful protest at the Government House Umuahia, the Traditional Ruler of Idima Abam Ohaike community, His Royal Highness, Eze Michael Okorie Ugbor, alleged that one Hon. Nnanna Ikechukwu Jonah and one Lookman Ukara invited some policemen and whisked away the community’s Prime Minister, claiming that the prime minister masterminded the killing of four people from the community.
Eze Ugbor said the prime minster was arrested and tortured by the police operatives around 2.30am, stressing that the security personnel butchered a lot of people. He revealed that the people perpetrating the dastardly act claimed to have obtained a back up from the state government.
The traditional ruler regretted that his kingship had been undermined by disgruntled elements who tormented trouble in the community. He said the community had continued to live in fear and intimidation while calling on Governor Alex Otti to intervene and bring back lasting peace to avoid a continuous besieging of a failed community.
Meanwhile, a group, under the aegis of Concerned Indigenes of Idima Abam Community (CIIAC), in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, has exonerated the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Governor Alex Otti, Ken Nwosu, and others from allegation of instigating recent arrests made by police in the community.
Mike Okorie Ugbo, who said he is the Eze Ogo of Idima Abam, had, in a recent statement, alleged that Ken Nwosu, Hon. Luke Onyeani Ukara and Hon. Jones Nnanna Ike, all serving in the Alex Otti administration, abused their offices by instigating police to arrest four members of his community. A statement signed by Prince Chukwu Jonah, Joe James Iro, Hon. Luke Onyeani Ukara, Hon. Jones Nnanna Ike, Ije Ihueze and Dr Chris Okoro on behalf of CIIAC, noted that Ugbo’s statement was far from being the truth.
The CIIAC statement claimed the police arrests, which was targeted at members of The Red Chamber Cult group in the community, was as a result of various petitions against the lawlessness of the cult group, and it predates the inauguration of Otti as the governor of Abia State.
The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to an advertorial in one of the national dailies and was signed by a self-titled “Royal
Highness”, but whose actual identity is Mr. Mike Okorie, a petty trader in Lagos.
“Even though the advertorial is devoid of facts and is, in fact, a diversionary tactics by the patrons of the notorious red chamber cult to divert attention away from ongoing investigations on the extra judicial killing of four innocent members of the Idima Abam community and other human right violations, yet this statement is important because of the mistaken impression which the advertorial might create about the possible misuse of public offices by occupant of such offices.
“In fact, the CSO to the governor, CSP
Ken Nwosu, whom they wrongly named Nkem Nwosu, is not from Abam and got to know about the matter on reading his name on the pages of the newspaper.
“The fact of the matter is that the advertorial itself is as fraudulent as the use of HRH, a title legally
assigned to government recognised traditional rulers, which the advertiser, assigned to himself in other to boost his very low profile.”
The statement added that while Ugbo failed to state the reasons for the arrest of the four people in Idima Abam he was complaining about, the truth was that the arrests was part of an ongoing investigations by the police into the alleged extra judicial murders in the community.
It named those murdered to include Chief Innocent Okorie (aka Bobo), Mrs.Oluikpe Agwu, Chief James Iro (aka Akpola) and Mr. Sampson Ihueze, and other heinous human right violations.
“It has been difficult to bring The Red
Chamber cult members to justice because of the protection offered by their patrons that includes Mr. Sampson Orji and Mr. Mike Okorie Ugbo.
The statement said for clarity sake, the arrest of the four persons from Idima Abam on November 14, by the Abia State Police Command, followed a series of petitions from community members.
“Ordinarily, it is lawful for the police to effect the arrest of suspects they wish to bring to justice if they deem such arrest necessary. It is no big deal as it is part of their routine duties.
“They are also empowered by law to do so. However, the red chamber cult members and their sponsors carved out the Idima Abam community as a sovereign republic.
“They made their own laws that are outside the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and have never submitted themselves to any police or security agency for questioning outside
their sovereign enclave, hence, for them it was an anomaly for the police to carry out their legitimate duties of investigation and law enforcement.”
The statement was of the view that since the petitioners were only exercising their rights as law abiding citizens when they petitioned the police, that police should be allowed to perform their lawful duties.
They commended governor Otti for finding some of their deserving sons worthy of appointment to serve in his government.
