(From Nweke Nweke, Onitsha)
The ill-move geared towards generating funds for the alleged payment of ‘returns’ to the traditional ruler of Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, His Majesty, Igwe P.C Ezenwa, Eze Okpoko 1 of Oba by the taskforce has gone beyond the constitution of the land as the non-indigenes residing in the community are said to be defrauded on daily bases by the taskforce led by one Boniface Ejikeme.
Today, the non-indigenes according to sources are getting perfecting plans aimed at resisting on paying through their nose just for the community to satisfy the traditional ruler of the town, His Majesty, Igwe P.C Ezenwa, Eze Okpoko 1 of Oba.
In a meeting held in one of the hotels at Nnewi yeasterday, the non-indigenes residing in Oba has resolved to take the bull by the horn by vowing to take the laws into their hands in making sure that defrauding them under impunity are stopped forthwith.
Nosing down into the allegation coming from thousands of non-indigenes currently residing in Oba, 247ureports.com was told that the leadership of the community promulgated a law that no person no matter how highly he or she will be provoked will report such action(s) to the police, therefore usurping the duties of the Nigeria police force.
It would be recalled that the people of Oba has in the recent past, allegedly burnt down a police station in the community and many causalities were recorded even as they are also accused to have killed many policemen performing their legitimate duties in the non-indigenes hatred community.
Investigation conducted towards unveiling the truth in the matter however reveals that the leadership of the community has made it mandatory that it is only the non-indigenes that will be involved in monthly clean up exercise in their entire community and defaulters even with genuine reason(s) are compelled to pay between N2, 000-N3,000.
Sampling the ugly experience of one Friday Nweke from Ebonyi State, a law student of Open University, Asaba at 200 level as a case study, 247ureports.com gathered that on the last Saturday of March, 2014, a group of young men in their good numbers accosted him in his one room rented apartment at the early hours of the day where the young men without introducing themselves as the monarch’s taskforce, compelled the undergraduate to pay them the sum of five thousand naira on the mere allegation that unknown people use to defecate in an empty plot behind their yard, the action the taskforce claimed was on the instruction of the traditional ruler of the town.
“I was still on the bed on the last clean up day when someone banged on my door, as I woke up, they confronted me on the allegation that the entire members of our yard use to defecate in the bush behind our yard, in trying to put them straight that I am not part of the allegation, they, under gun point dispossessed me of my motorbike that is the only means of my livelihood” Nweke stated.
Narrating further over what he passed through in the hands of the law brakes, the undergraduate said; “When my wife noticed that the armed robbers under the cover of taskforce and vigilante group of the community assaulted both me and my wife as they beat up my 8 months pregnant wife. It did not stop there, as I was struggling to save my life as they were dragging me to unknown destination, the singlet of one of them got frayed and they compelled me to pay N1,000 which a member of our yard in other to save my life paid them” he said.
The matter was later reported to Ojoto police division but instead of the Divisional Police Officer, DPO to investigate the case, he allegedly aliened himself with the Oba people. It took this reporter undisclosed huge sums of money to mobilize the Divisional Crime Officer, DCO and the Investigation Police Officer, IPO to do the right thing by inviting the criminals working for the traditional ruler.
However, when this reporter visited the President of Umuogali village, Chief Sunday Obinwa, he fumed that the victim reported the case to the police, stating that the law guiding his village and Oba in general is that no body should bring the police into their town. He made it clear that Mr. Friday Nweke must pay to his community the sum of (N12, 000) twelve thousand Naira and after paying the money, he will also pack out from Oba.
247ureports.com did not stop there as we confronted the Chairman of the Central Taskforce, Mr. Boniface Ejikeme who threatened that until Friday Nweke pay them for the conduct he never committed, he will never have peace in his life.
When contacted for comment, the DPO who was in mufti while in office blamed Mr. Nweke of failing to respect the traditional ruler, Igwe P.C Ezenwa. He frowned that Friday Nweke was the only person that refused to succumb to the directive of the Monarch.
But the DCO distanced himself with the action of his boss as he immediately called for bringing of the motorcycle to the police station. He told the traditional ruler’s taskforce the implication of unlawful seizure of the property of the innocent Nweke even as he urged the complaint to follow peace with all men.
