From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Mgbuoshimini Community Rumueme kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, has called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute a fleeing killer Ejiro Edigbo, and his gang members, for multiple killings in the area.
President, Mgbuoshimini Youth Movement, Mr. Osowene Nyeche and General Secretary, Mr. Marvin Echem, who spoke on behalf of the community, called for the arrest of Egbodi, who was declared wanted in 2017, by state government, following his condemnation of the newly inaugurated OSPAC, a local vigilance group on radio.
The youth president and secretary general, who described the suspect as an imposter, said Edigbo and his gang members comments on radio was unfortunate and malicious.
The community noted: “The attention of Mgbuoshimini Community Rumueme kingdom and in particular, Mgbuoshimini Youth Movement, has been drawn to a malicious news item on radio wherein unknown imposter by the name Ejiro Edigbo and certain faceless female characters spoke on behalf of Oro-Akwor community being part of Mgbuoshimini community purporting to be warning those he refers to as some of our brothers against joining OSPAC Vigilantee. The mention of the names of some of our stakeholders and prominent sons in the statement is rather unfortunate and malicious.
“For the records, there is no indigene of our community called Ejiro Edigbo or his co-travellers at large. That the name is familiar with one of the persons declared wanted by the Rivers State Police Command since 2017, over the multiple killings in the community and we call on the police to arrest and prosecute him and his gang immediately.”
The youth body declared it would not fold hands and watch the peace and sanctity of the Mgbuoshimini Kingdom threatened by the likes of Edigbo.
The community continued: “The killings have continued unabated in the interest of their sponsors and we cannot continue to fold our hands to watch our peaceful community destroyed. The sponsors are mischievously hiding under Oro-Akwor which is part of Mgbuoshimini to undermine our collective effort knowing it is the entire Mgbuoshimini Community that is troubled.”
The community said that, on Saturday, April 1, 2023, OSPAC was fully inaugurated in Mgbuoshimini as a community policing effort to recover the area from crime in partnership with the Nigeria Police.
According to the president and secretary of Mgbuoshimini Community, Rumueme Kingdom, the inauguration was done both successfully and peacefully.
They stated: “That the allegation that our inauguration turned the community to a war zone is a spurious falsehood and a blackmail that failed on arrival. OSPAC success story in parts of the state including Obio/Akpor LGA remains unchallenged.
“That, those spreading this falsehood and their sponsors trying to scuttle this long awaited effort are the criminal elements in our community and should be fished out.
“That they delight in blackmailing our community effort in fighting crime instead of exposing the killer camp resident in the community which they are working with. The concocted statement is diversionary and a smokescreen from the criminal gang and should be outrightly disregarded because they are at it again.
“We use this medium to congratulate OSPAC for this successful inauguration of Mgbuoshimini chapter and pledge to continue to work with the relevant security agencies and authorities particularly the Nigerian Police Force Rivers State Command, to restore sanity in our community that has been caged by cultism. Mgbuoshimini people are happy and we shall win this battle over cultism and criminal gang.”