The traditional ruler of Adakam Amumara Autonomous Community, Eze O. B. Nwokocha, Joshua Nwichi and Chibuenyi Nwachukwu are allegedly perfecting a plot to frame up some people in Amumaraokahia in retaliation for acting in the best interest of morality and justice
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
A dispute in Adakam Amumara Autonomous community in the Ezinihitte Mbaise local government area of Imo State is threatening to escalate to a full blown crisis if nothing is done to nip it in the bud.
The Rule of Law, Advocacy and Accountability Centre (RULAAC), in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, urged the police boss to order a probe of the dispute to forestall a possible break down of law and order and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The letter is titled: “A REQUEST TO ORDER INVESTIGATION WITH A VIEW TO NIPPING IN THE BUD ACTIONS CAPABLE OF LEADING TO THE ESCALATION OF A CRISIS AND BREAKDOWN OF LAW AND ORDER IN ADAKAM AMUMARA AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY IN EZINIHITTE MBAISE LGA OF IMO STATE AND TO CALL THE PERPETRATORS TO ORDER.”
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RULAAC’s petition to the police IG was on behalf of Stanley Ogbonna, the chairman of Amumaraokahia village Council, and members of Amumaraokahia village in Adakam Amumara Autonomous Community in Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA of Imo State.
The letter, signed by RULAAC executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, chronicled the event leading to a threat to allegedly frame Stanley Ogbonna and others with a plot to procure the services of assassins simply because they testified in a case of incest.
The letter reads: “1. Mr. Stanley Ogbonna called us in the morning of Sunday April 10, 2022 to alert us about an apparent plot by the traditional ruler of Adakam Amumara Autonomous Community, Eze O. B. Nwokocha, Joshua Nwichi and Chibuenyi Nwachukwu (from Obibi village) to frame up some people in Amumaraokahia in retaliation for acting in the best interest of morality and justice.
“2. He informed us that some people from Amumaraokahia namely, Nze Benjamin Osuagwu, Elder Eleazar Ekpo, Chief Ngozi Ubani and Stanley Ogbonna were invited as witnesses at the hearing by Ndi Eze Imo (Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers) in Owerri concerning a report brought to the palace of Eze Nwokocha, the traditional ruler of Adakam by Joshua Nwichi’s wife that her husband was having canal knowledge of their daughter, a criminal act known as incest.
“3. Three out of these four persons appeared before Ndi Eze Imo about 2 weeks ago and gave witnesses that they were aware that such a complaint was brought to the palace of the traditional ruler of Adakam by Joshua Nwichi’s wife.
“4. The traditional ruler of Adakam, Joshua Nwichi, his wife and their said daughter in question were also invited.
“5. The traditional ruler, Eze Nwokocha denied that he received such a report. Joshua Nwichi denied the allegation as made by his wife while his wife also denied bringing such a report against him to the palace.
“6. However, Nze Benjamin Osuagwu, a member of the Council of titled men in the community and a great ally of the traditional ruler, in his testimony before Ndi Eze Imo stated categorically that he was in the palace of the Adakam Amumara traditional ruler along with Chief Ngozi Ubani (the Traditional Prime Minister) and other members of the community the day Joshua Nwichi’s wife came to the palace accompanied by her elder brother and reported to the traditional ruler that her husband Joshua Nwichi was having sex with one of their daughters known as Ekwutosi. He also informed that the women of Amumaraokahia village are privy to this allegation as Joshua Nwichi’s wife also told them about it at the women’s gathering and it’s a well discussed matter among the women in the village.
“7. The day after Nze Benjamin Osuagwu gave this witness, Eze Nwokocha in retaliation issued a widely circulated circular announcing that he has withdrawn the Nze title from him, although citing other reasons believed to be afterthought. This is a clear case of witness victimization.
“8. Elder Eleazar Ekpo in his own testimony informed the panel of Ndi Eze Imo that Joshua Nwichi who was his close friend at the time personally narrated to him how his wife went to the palace and other places and laid the report against him that he was sleeping with his daughter and even got her pregnant and caused it to be aborted. Elder Eleazar Ekpo has also reported being threatened by both Eze Nwokocha and Joshua Nwichi for going to give this evidence.
“9. Stanley Ogbonna, who was the Chairman of Umuche kindred in Amumaraokahia at the time also gave witness that Joshua Nwichi’s wife first brought the report to him against her husband but he directed her to the palace considering that the severity of the allegation was beyond him to treat as a kindred Chairman.
“10. He has also reported being publicly embarrassed, abused and threatened by both Joshua Nwichi and his wife for daring to go to Owerri to give evidence against them. He said that a few days back, on his way to the market square, Joshua Nwichi’s wife came close to assaulting him in the presence of some women.
“11. It is understandable that Chief Ngozi Ubani, being the Traditional Prime Minister to Eze Nwokocha could not go to give testimony as one of the witnesses who were present at the Palace the day Joshua Nwichi’s wife, accompanied by her elder brother, visited the Palace and made the report to Eze Nwokocha.
“12. Now, the threats are increasing with ongoing plots to frame these witnesses and others considered enemies with unfounded criminal allegations as reprisal for giving honest testimonies on what they consider both crime and abomination.
“13. Stanley Ogbonna has reported that Joshua Nwichi first threatened that he doesn’t end any fight he starts and that he should be prepared to face him for going to give witness against him.
“14. Next, he reported that Chibuenyi told him that Amumaraokahia people hired assassins from Rivers State to come to his house to assassinate him. He said he asked him who the people that hired the assassins were but he only told him to wait and see what is coming to him and others very soon.
“15. Then he reported that he was at the Palace yesterday along with other Adakam village Council Chairmem and Eze Nwokocha singled him out for a dress down and made the same allegation by Chibuenyi that ‘Amumaraokahia people’ hired assassins from Rivers State to assassinate Chibuenyi. He said he also asked him who the people that hired the assassins were but he also answered similarly like Chibuenyi.
“16. Now, no one else in Amumaraokahia village or Adakam community except Eze Nwokocha, Joshua Nwichi and Chibuenyi is privy to this attempted assassination plot or the particular individuals in Amumaraokahia village who allegedly hired the supposed assassins. There is no known report of such criminal intent to any security agency within the local government or anywhere else.
“17. They believe it is a malicious and sinister plot to frame them and others up in retaliation for giving evidence or taking positions that they considered to be against their interests in the sand dredging controversy in which Chibuenyi, Joshua Nwichi and Eze Nwokocha have vested interests and are disproportionately benefitting from against the collective interest of the village and community.
18. This is therefore to bring to your attention this brewing plot aimed to incriminate and victimize innocent people. This will likely escalate the sand dredging dispute which the President General of Adakam, Professor Nwankwo, is currently working assiduously with other stakeholders to resolve. This is likely to escalate the conflict and lead to a breakdown of law and order in the community, if not nipped in the bud.
“RULAAC requests the IGP through the AIG Force CID, Enugu, to call Eze Nwokocha and his cronies to order and avert a crisis. “