ASSASSINS AFTER MY LIFE— IGWE CHRISTOPHER OKWOR CRIES OUT
REPORTER: CHRISTIAN NWANGENE
The suspended traditional ruler of Ihekwuenu Aku Autonomous Community in Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Igwe Christopher Okwor, has cried out following an alleged attack on his home by men suspected to be assassins.
The traditional ruler, who has been in the news lately following his recent suspension by the Enugu State Government for the alleged demolition of a building belonging to a visually impaired member of the community, claimed to have faced series of police harassment since the incident.
A new twist to the story emerged few days after he received series of threat messages from persons suspected to be agents of one member of the community, who had been at loggerheads with the royal father for stopping his land grabbing activities in the community.
The gunmen stormed Umakashi Nsukka, the residence place of traditional ruler in the dead of the night,
shooting sporadically into the air.
A member of the local vigilance group, who confirmed the shooting to Radio Nigeria, said that at about 8pm on Wednesday October 20, 2021, they received a distress call from one of the Igwe’s sons that their home was under attack by strangers attempting to scale the fence.
According to the vigilante, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, on getting close to the house, they noticed strange movement near the traditional ruler’s gate as the gunmen shot in the air and hurriedly left the area on a motor bike.
Narrating his ordeal, one of the sons of the traditional ruler, Prince Lawrence Okwor, said the gunmen did not succeed that night due to the quick response by the members of the vigilance group.
Prince Okwor, accused a member of the community, Mr. Nnamdi Ezemagu of trying to kill his father after his other strategies failed, including using a blind man as a ploy to grab their land, in addition to numerous petitions to frame the father up.
Prince Lawrence Okwor further said that Mr. Ezemagu wrote a petition to the Force CID Abuja accusing the traditional ruler of armed robbery, Kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms and cultism.
He however expressed unhappiness that Mr. Ezemagu failed to appear in Abuja on the day the two parties were invited by the DIG, rather sent a flimsy excuse letter that they were attending an APC rally in Anambra State.
Chronicling the spate of invasion of his father’s house, Prince Okwor, noted that it all began in 2019 even before the issue of blind man’s building demolition came up.
Prince Okwor, explained that though the recent invasion by suspected assassins had been reported to the relevant authorities for investigations, it was important members of the public knew that the life of his father, Igwe Christopher Okwor, was in danger.
When contacted, Mr. Nnamdi Ezemagu denied all the alligations, describing it as a fabrication from the pit of hell and an attempt to divert the attention of the public and that of the police from investigating the alleged crimes Igwe Okwor was linked with.
Reacting to the issue, the Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, Mr. Daniel Ndukwe, told Radio Nigeria that the Command was not involved in the matter.