By CHUKS EKE
The Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosi community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra state, have demanded an unreserved apology from the hierarchy of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA over what it termed false, shocking, embarrassing and defamatory news reports credited to it recently to the effect that a cache’ of hard drugs was uncovered at the palace of Igwe Chidubem Iweka III of Obosi during a raid at the palace.
They also demanded from the NDLEA hierarchy, a retraction of the said publication in a press conference encompassing the major print and electric media in the country, adding that only such wide scope publicity on the subject matter would be acceptable to Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosi and the people of Obosi Kingdom who are agitating for justice.
In a press statement signed by Igwebuike Shedrack Okenwa (Paalace Secretary) for Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosi and the people of Obosi Kingdom, Entitled: “Ref. NDLEA press release on 8th March, 2021 captioned: NDLEA recovers Cocaine, Heroin from Anambra Monarch’s Palace”, and issued to newsmen yesterday at the palace, the royal cabinet of Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosi said it was most unfortunate that the good works of the Obosi people to assist the NDLEA has been turned into a show of shame.
According to the statement, “the truth of the matter is that on February 17, 2021, Obosi Vigilante operatives were on regular patrol in the hard drug infested area of the town referred to as Ojunoh or Cocaine avenue. A young man upon sighting them, took to his heels”.
“The vigilantes chased and arrested him and found substances suspected to be hard drugs in his bag. They brought him to the palace of His Majesty, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, Eze Iweka III, Eze Obosi. A video operator was summoned, who made a video coverage of the interrogation of the drug peddler, stating his name, the name of the drug baron who owned the drug and other pertinent information”.
“His Majesty, Eze Iweka III, personally contacted the Anambra State Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Musbahu Idris who promised to send NDLEA operatives to come and sign a document prepared by the palace and collect the substances confirmed to be cocaine and heroin by the drug peddler”.
The Anambra NDLEA Commander, Idris who was ill at the time, eventually sent a team headed by an officer named Mr. Erhi who arrived at the palace and picked up the said hard drug, signed a receipt and left. A video was shot of his visit with Cabinet Chiefs present”.
It is therefore most shocking, embarrassing and defamatory incident to witness the totally false and misleading articles in diverse print and electronic media, errorneously stating that the said cache’ of hard drugs was uncovered as a result of a raid on the palace of His Majesty by NDLEA officers”.
“It is most unfortunate that the good works of the Obosi people to assist the NDLEA has been turned into a show of shame. The Commander, Idris had shown immense gratitude in writing , for the recovery and handover of both illicit substances. His Majesty, in turn, had thanked and praised the relatively new Commander for his gratitude and pledged to assist in checkmating the profileration of hard drugs in Obosi”.
“It is worthy of note that the NDLEA under the leadership of the immediate past Stat e Commander, Mr. Sule Momodu, formed such an efficient synergy with the Royal Cabinet of Eze Iweka III, which helped decimate the drug trade in Obosi and effected the arrests and convictions of drug barons”.
“It was as a result of his effortsd in tackling hard drug and other vices that the NDLEA wrote a special letter of appreciation to Eze Iweka III dated July 1st, 2013. We hereby call on the hierarchy of NDLEA to retract the said false publication and tender an unreserved apology in a press conference encompassing the major print and electronic media in the country, since it is only such wide scope publicity on the subject matter that would be acceptable to Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosiu and the people of Obosi Kingdom who are agitating for justice”.
