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From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi born business mogul, Chief Julius Orji, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police,Usman Baba; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the National Human Rights commission (NHRC) over killings and destruction of property in his Edda community of Afikpo South local government area of the state.
He called on the authorities to properly investigate the sponsors of the violent incident and prosecute them.
The business mogul in an open letter dated January 19th, 2023, signed on behalf of his community and addressed to the IGP, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Human Rights Commission, alleged that some politicians in the state were playing politics with the lives of his people.
“Recall that on 26th December 2022, Ekoli Edda was thrown into another crisis which resulted in the deaths of three men including an Inspector of Police, and properties (a house, two vehicles, and a motorcycle) were burnt, and this incident happened in broad daylight with the same known actors perpetrating crimes in Edda over the years of this government in charge.
“Also, on the 1st day of January 2023, the same group of known actors killed a woman that was seven months old pregnant and set ablaze two buildings in the compound after failing to kill the husband who narrowly escaped.
“The most worrisome among them is that the state government is aware of these known actors perpetrating these crimes and has continued to play to the gallery, thereby setting up an inquiry commission that I seriously suspect will only act on the instructions of the state government, thereby freeing the few arrested crime actors in a no distant time.
“In this light, we are calling on you, the Inspector-General of Police and the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police not to allow this matter, in particular, to die another death like too many others.
Most importantly, the killing of an Inspector of Police, and a woman with seven months old unborn child shouldn’t be glossed over as the prosecution of the perpetrators of this evil act must hold, and adequate punishment meted.”
But Ebonyi State Government in a reaction, described the letter as substance-less and ill-willed, adding that it was targeted at demeaning the efforts of the government at bringing peace, in the area.
The Commissoner for Information in the state, Uchenna Orji, stated this in a statement on Saturday night.
He said, “We view this publication (letter) as a substance-less distraction by a captious and ill-willed complainer, who is saddened by the truce achieved by the State Government over the rift that led to the unfortunate attack at Ekoli Edda that caused lives and properties.
“The expressions contained in the said publication are unfair and unreasonable opinions formed without enough thought and knowledge of the notion of Panel of Inquiry, with reasonings tainted by highly divisive and self-seeking aggrandisements of a man that is completely made-up in his bias and sentiments against peace and reconciliation in his own clan.”
