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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Leaders of the Okpanku village in Adakam Amumara autonomous community in Ezinihitte Mbaise council area of Imo State have accused the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Ositadimma Nwokocha, of using armed men and thugs to terrorise members of the village over a land dispute which they claim is presently before the state High Court.
They also alleged that Eze Nwokocha had, on several occasions, orchestrated the invasion of their villages by unknown armed men who unleash mayhem, breaking down doors, assaulting, humiliating and abducting their people and taking them to the Ezinihitte Police Area Command, where they are framed with false allegations and extorted of various sums of money.
The community also accused the monarch of shielding one Chibuenyi Nwachukwu from his Obibi village from honouring police invitation for unlawful possession of firearms, as the said Chibuenyi Nwachukwu allegedly coordinates the traditional ruler’s interests in illegal dredging business in the community, which they said has continued to be a source communal tension.
In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, dated April 5, 2023, and jointly signed by Anayochi Eric – Chairman-General; Chukwuemeka Okeosisi, Council Chairman, and Simon Amechi -Secretary General, appealed to the IGP to intervene and save their village from the constant harassment and intimidation by unknown armed men woking for their traditional ruler over a land dispute.
The petition reads: “We, the representatives of elected leaders and members of Okpanku village in Adakam Amumara autonomous community in Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA, Imo State, respectfully approach the Inspector General of Police (IGP) with a humble appeal to intervene to save our village and the Adakam community from the intimidation and oppressive stranglehold on our liberty and safety by our traditional ruler, Eze Ositadinma Nwokocha. The said traditional ruler has, on several occasions, orchestrated the storming and invasion of our villages by unknown armed men who unleash mayhem, breaking down doors, assaulting, humiliating and abducting our people and taking them to the Ezinihitte Police Area Command, where they are framed with false allegations and extorted of various sums of money for no known offence.
“The traditional ruler uses this as a tactic to intimidate and silence our people from questioning his involvement in a land dispute in Okpanku village, which is currently in court. He is also involved in illegal sand dredging business in the community rivers, crisscrossing three villages and uses local armed thugs to harass and intimidate people who elected him as their traditional ruler. Invitation by the D3 CID of Imo State Police Command, Owerri, recently extended to one of the traditional ruler’s dangerously armed boys, .. But the traditional ruler has been shielding the suspected criminal. Attempts by operatives from D3, State CID, Owerri, Imo State Police Headquarters to arrest the said Chibuenyi have also not been successful owing to interferences by the traditional ruler.
“This is precisely why we are requesting that Zone 9 Umuahia be directed to step in. The most recent incident of invasion by unknown armed men at the behest of the traditional ruler happened on March 30, 2023. The traditional ruler, Eze Nwokocha, for the umpteenth time, personally led a team of the armed men to Okpanku village where they broke down doors, beat up men and women, old and young and took away a young man and an over 75-year-old man and headed to Obowo, a neighbouring community. The armed invaders, who operated in 4 Hilux trucks, collected N10,000.00 from the young man at Obowo and left him to find his way back home, while they took the old man who had no money to the Ezinihitte Police Area Command and dumped him in the cell.”
The petition continued: “The traditional ruler has been doing this same thing over and over again against his people, and he is not going to stop unless he is called to order. We, therefore, humbly request for: a discrete investigation into the role of the traditional ruler, Eze O.B. Nwokocha of Adakam, in cavorting with and frequently inviting unknown armed men into an otherwise peaceful community in this trying times of insecurity; engendering a state of terror and fear in Adakam community, and his use of the armed men to terrorise community members in order to protect his personal financial benefits from land disputes and illegal dredging activities that are damaging the environment.
We rely on your office for prompt intervention via a thorough, unbiased and effective investigation to save our people from terror, and to bring the perpetrators to account.”
