By Chunks Eke
A Nigerian born veteran Army of the United States of America, USA, Bonaventure Ezekwenna has cried out to the Nigeria police high command over what he termed as conspiracy, attempted abduction and perhaps his assassination by those he identified as dubious and unscrupulous police officers at Zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra state, in conspiracy with one Chijioke Peter Okaa, an accused person currently standing trial at Chief Magistrate Court, Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
He alleged that the conspiracy, attempted abduction and perhaps his assassination was hatched and perpetrated at the premises of Zone 13 Zonal Police Command Ukpo, in a bid to forestal the trial of Mr. Okaa at Nnobi Chief Magistrate court where Okaa was arraigned on a five-count charge of conspiracy, giving false information to the Inspector-General of the Police, IGP.
He alleged that the action of the police officers was intended to aid Okaa to cause the IGP to use his lawful power to the injury or annoyance on one Miss Nzube Victoria Mbachu and one Bonaventure Ezekwenna, after maliciously damaging a landed property worth over N10 million belonging to himself (Ezekwenna) to abduct and eliminate him.
According to Ezekwenna, a native of Nnobi and New York City based US Army veteran, having studied and obtained his first degree in political science at Herbert H. Lehman College of City University of New York, one Mr. Chijioke Peter Okaa currently standing trial at the court for malicious damage and some police officers of Zone 13 Ukpo had conspired, hatched what he described as elaborate plans to abduct him at the Chief Magistrate Court premises, and dispose him in such a way that he would be prevented from pursuing his case or seeking justice any longer in any court of competent jurisdiction.
In the petition to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, dated October 9, this year, a copy of which he made available to newsmen via whatsapp, Ezekwenna, also a veteran of child abuse investigator at New York City Government Administration of Children Services, veteran intelligence operative who assisted US Federal law enforcement (FBI, INS and US Justice Dept) in successful international investigation and prosecution of Nigerian-American human trafficking syndicate in US Federal Court of Southern District of New York and currently a businessman who frequently visits Lagos, Nigeria on business projects development missions, narrated his ugly experience in the hands of these compromised police officers attached to Zone 13 Police Command, Ukpo.
Ezekwenna said that it is ironical that some of these officers at Zone 13, Ukpo attached to Zonal Intelligence Bureau, ZIB conspired with the said Chijioke Peter Okaa to abduct him.
He said he was surprised that the accused person, Okaa, while still standing trial could hire these police officers to trail him to the Nnobi Chief Magistrate Court premises on mufti, probably to abduct and deliver him to the accused person to deal with him ruthlessly.
He alleged that apart from trailing him to the court premises where they could not abduct him because of the presence of some operatives of the national security agency, who escorted him to the court, the police officers had equally trailed him to a hotel where he lodged in Awka some time ago to abduct him but were prevented from carrying out the act when they discovered that the hotel was saturated with Close Circuit Television, CCTV cameras and they left in utter disappointment.
He further alleged that when they could not succeed with the abduction plots, they now resorted to sending him a WhatsApp invitation letter to report at Zone 13 Headquarters, Ukpo to answer certain charges against him.
He said when he received the WhatsApp invitation letter which they deliberately addressed him as Bonaventure Eze Ogbonna instead of his real name, Bonaventure Ezekwenna, he suspected a fowl play from the police because if he honours the invitation, they could abduct him and there would be no traces of his whereabout since his relations, friends and associates would be looking for him as Bonaventure Ezekwenna but the police would deny seeing him because they had invited him as Bonaventure Eze Ogbonna, instead of Ezekwenna.
He said to worsen the matter, the police invitation letter had directed him to report to the O/C Zonal ZIB, Zone 13, Ukpo on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 for attempted murder,, citing violence and criminal trespass as reason for his invitation.
He recalled that the problem started in September 2021 when he answered the clarion call by the Anambra State government on Anambra indigenes worldwide to invest at home. He purchased an uncompleted property at Nnobi for N10 million, paid with bank draft, and obtained Deed of Assignment and other legal documents perfected at his lawyer’s office in Nnobi. He said he also killed a goat as part of the land procurement in accordance with Nnobi custom and tradition.
He said as he started to develop it, a notorious land grabber invaded the property with thugs and allegedly, destroyed, stole some building materials and demolished the fence, adding that the rampaging thug claimed he purchased the property in September 2020 at the cost of N20 million from the same person who sold it to him (Ezekwenna).
“Initially, I reported the matter at Lagos State Police Command and it was assigned to SCID Lagos for investigation. From SCID Lagos the case was transferred to FCID Alagbon Close Lagos, which has nationwide jurisdiction and resources. At FCID Alagbon, Okaa claimed that he paid N20m cash for the same land but without receipt. The IPO at FCID Alagbon threatened to charge Okaa to court.
“To avoid being charged to court, Okaa wrote a petition to IGP alleging that himself, Ezekwenna and Ms Victoria Nzube Mbachu the person who sold the property to him (Ezekwennna) and others plotted to kill him in order to take his land and his petition was assigned to FCID Headquarters Abuja for investigation”.
“FCID Headquarters Abuja transferred the case file from FCID Alagbon Lagos to FCID Headquarters Abuja, released Okaa from FCID Alagbon detention and arrested Ezekwenna. This in police circles is called Rescue Mission”.
“After investigation, FCID Legal Dept charged Okaa to Chief Magistrate Court Nnobi, Anambra State for trespassing, destruction of properties, stealing and false information to police among other criminal charges”.
“I, Ezekwenna is a nominal complainant and witness in the case, so I visit the court every time the case is scheduled for hearing. I also filed a civil suit against Okaa at High Court of Anambra State, for court declarations and for the payment of damages”.
“Between 8.02 and 8.05 a.m on Sunday August 20, 2023, I received sms text messages from two different numbers. Those two messages commanded me to call those numbers because my life is in danger. The messages read in part: “Mr Bonaventure Ezekwenna call me now, I’ve a message for you before it gets late.. Your life is in danger”
“I called both numbers, the same man answered. The man who answered the phone introduced himself as an assassin, leader of assassination group hired by someone who paid him N500,000 to eliminate me. He said: I have all information about every movements of you,rs and everything about you. He told me that if I give him N250,000, he will not assassinate me again, rather, he will tell me the person who wants me dead and paid him to do it. He gave me upto 12.00 noon of the same day as the deadline to pay the money in the account he sent to me”.
“After 12.00 noon passed and I did not send any money to him, he sent me a text threatening to set my family house at Nnobi ablaze, among other things for being stubborn. He told me to watch what they will do to me”.
Tracking by national security officials determined the location of the “assassin” is Onitsha Prison, and the national security officials asked if I knew anyone in Onitsha Prison. I told them that the person I knew in Onitsha Prison who knows my name and phone number is one Mr. Oluwafemi Salako (aka: Claude Gounou Aloukou), the self-proclaimed yahoo+ cultist from Benin Republic who together with his associate and partner (Peter Chijioke Okaa) are currently standing trial at Chief Magistrate Court Nnobi. He was remanded by the court at Onitsha Prison”.
Other people in Onitsha Prison who will know me and my phone number are the guards who brought Salako to court. Femi Salako also stated in an open court that his associate and partner co-defendant Mr. Okaa visits him at Onitsha Prison frequently and they both knew my names and telephone number”.
On Saturday September 16, 2023, I received another text message on my phone purported to be from Zone 13 Police Command Ukpo, O/C ZIB inviting me to the formation on allegations of attempted murder, violence and criminal trespass”.
The names on the invitation were not my correct full names. It was addressed to Bonaventure Eze Ogbonna. Mr. Ezekwenna called the sender’s telephone number and pointed this out to him, but the sender claimed he is not part of the investigation team but just a police messenger and added that since they sent it to my phone number, the invitation is mine, regardless of names or how it was addressed”.
“I made inquiries and petitioned CP Anambra State Police Command and DSS, Anambra State Command about these 2 suspicious incidents, which I believe may be the same assassination squad and yahoo+ cult syndicate threatening to assassinate me, set my family house at Nnobi ablaze and attempting to extort money from me. I also sent a ppetition to IGP which was assigned to SEB-FCID for investigation. And the investigation is ongoing at the moment”.
The key question raising a lot of suspicion is why police officers at Zone 13 Ukpo insisted on abducting me with clearly concocted names Eze Ogbonna?.
“In Nigeria in general, and Anambra State in particular, people are known to have been abducted, kidnapped and disappeared without trace through such unethical, unprofessional and illegal methods, and no one will know who actually did it”.
“The conducts of the police officers at Zone 13 Ukpo are highly unethical and unprofessional and warrant thorough investigation. I therefore wish to bring them to the attention of Inspector General of Police and police authorities for thorough investigation and necessary actions”, said Mr. Ezekwenna.
“I make bold to say that discipline has totally collapsed in the Nigeria Police Force. It’s incredible that the nation’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), the head of Nigerian Police Force will charge a suspect to court (Chief Magistrate Court Nnobi Anambra State), and the same suspect will hire some police officers at Zone 13 Ukpo to trail, abduct and eliminate a nominal complainant and witness in the case; the police officers actually trailed witness from court premises, thereby sabotaging the case being prosecuted by the IGP himself”, said Mr. Ezekwenna.
“Police officers don’t operate like this. Only the death squads operate like this. This death squad has the bad characteristics of unknown gun men (UGM) activities we read about almost every day. It’s absolutely shameful that these police officers have reduced our great Nigeria Police Force to this low”, added Mr. Ezekwenna.
“These police officers are worse than the death squad, they are worse than UGM, they are worse than terrorists: they fabricated allegations, they planned abduction, they trailed innocent witness from court premises, they even sat inside the courtroom and listened to the on-going court trial. The mission of the death squad is to abduct and assassinate the nominal complainant and witness to stop the trial. People are being killed, maimed and caused to disappear in mostly Southeast Nigeria, causing insecurity and destabilization of communities in the region. The IGP and authorities of the Nigeria Police Force need to stop this horror,” Mr. Ezekwenna further said.
“I therefore call on all relevant authorities of Nigeria Police Force to ask them what is going on, and impress it upon them to properly investigate, properly charge, and diligently prosecute all offenders”.
When contacted, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, ZPPRO, Josephine Ihunwo, a Superintendent of Police, SP, told newsmen on phone that the case had been transferred to force headquarters, Abuja for thorough investigations.
The police had arraigned Okaa on a five-count charge of conspiracy, willful damages and giving false information to the Inspector-General of the Police, IGP with intent to cause the police IGP to use his lawful power to the injury or annoyance on one Miss Nzube Victoria Mbachu and one Bonaventure Ezekwenna..
In the charge No. MIS/12c/2023, the prosecuting police officers, C. I. Eze Esq. and Kyije Roland Abang Esq. from Legal/Prosecution Section, police headquarters, Abuja, alleged that the accused person, Okaa had between July 2020 and October, 2021 at Nnobi, Idemili Magisterial District, conspired with one Salako now at large and forcefully entered into a landed property with a survey plan No. GEO-B AN425 which is actual and peaceable possession of one Bonaventure Ezekwenna with intent to commit offence therein.
The prosecution further alleged that Okaa and one Salako still at large had on April, 2022 at Nigerian Police Force, NPF Headquarters, allegedly gave false information to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP and his Investigating Police officers, IPOs that he duly purchased the land delineated in Survey plan No. GEO-B/AN425/2021from one Miss Nzube Victoria Mbachu, the fact you know to be false with intent to cause the IGP to use his lawful power to the injury or annoyance of the said Miss Nzube Victoria Mbachu and one Bonaventure Ezekwenna.
The prosecution also accused the the Okaa and Salako still at large of willfully and unlawfully damaging a building estimated at N10 million, property of one Bonaventure Ezekwenna.
The offences, according to the prosecution, were contrary to Sections 75, 496 (a), 115, and 154 (1) (b) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 36, Vol.11 Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991, as amended, as well as Section 7 of the Prohibition of Fraudulent Practices on Land, Property and other Related Matters Connected thereto, Law of Anambra state of Nigeria, 2012.
When the charges were read, the accused person pleaded not gúilty to all the charges and the Presiding Chief Magistrate, Ken Nwoye granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in the like sum.
The court ordered that the surety must be a resident of Nnobi Magisterial District. The matter was adjourned to Friday, January 26, 2024 for a formal handover of the case file to Anambra state Ministry of Justice for legal advise.
