SECURITY OPERATIVES INVADE RESIDENCE OF SUSPENDED TRADITIONAL RULER OF IHEKWUENU AKU, ENUGU STATE, WISK AWAY WIFE TOO
REPORTER: CHRISTIAN NWANGENE
Security operatives have allegedly invaded the Nsukka residence of the suspended traditional ruler of Ihekwuenu Aku Autonomous Community, Igbo Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Igwe Christopher Okwor, whisking him and his wife away.
According to an eye witness, the operatives who came fully armed, in civilian clothes, scaled the fence of the compound and made their way to the room of the traditional ruler.
He said he had visited Igwe and was about to go when the armed men invaded Igwe’s residence and started beating everybody and dragged Igwe and his wife away.
“I don’t even know who they are because they were not in uniform, he stated.
“I visited Igwe and was about to go when they invaded the house. When they destroyed the burglary and gained access, they started beating everybody.
“They hit me severally thinking that I am Igwe’s son but I told them am not. When they realized that am not his son, they started destroying the ceiling in search of Igwe’s son'” he narrated.
A member of the vigilance group who spoke with Radio Nigeria under condition of anonymity said they heard the noise and gunshots and rushed to the scene but the armed Policemen outside the gate told them to go back since the entrance gate was still locked.
He lamented that what happened at Igwe’s residence had never happened in Umuakashi village.
One of Igwe’s maidservants, a 16-year-old (name withheld), who narrated what happened said they were traumatized that the armed men swooped on them like criminals.
Radio Nigeria gathered that the traditional ruler and his wife were taken to Anti Kidnapping Unit, Enugu.
However, our correspondent who visited the unit for confirmation was informed that the traditional ruler was being transported to Abuja through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
Later on, our correspondent succeeded in locating the traditional ruler’s wife who narrated their ordeal.
Around 10:15 p.m. We had two visitors who came to our house, preparing to go and we heard a noise from our gate.
“So we asked the children what brought about the noise outside the gate and they said that nobody was outside the gate and that they had locked the gate, but after a while we had a knock on the door, shouting Igwe open this door.
“My husband asked them who they are, and they told him to open the door that if he refuses to open the door that they will deal with him, without saying who they are and immediately, they started breaking the doors from outside with iron, chessel, and some other group went to my window and started pushing the burglaries which they succeeded in breaking my own window burglary and jumped inside.
“One of them pointed a gun at my husband’s head shouting you are a killer you have been killing people for a long time and you will see today, you and your wife will be inside the cell today and started brutalizing us when they pushed me, I hit my head on the freezer and one of them used the gun to heat my husband on the chest and they dragged us outside.
“The invaders said they are taking us to Area Command in Nsukka, but midway to Obechara junction, they changed direction and said they are taking us to their base in Enugu.
“On our way to their base when we reached Opi junction, they brought another car and pushed us out of police van to a private car.
“I asked them why they are changing us from police vehicle, they said they don’t have fuel.
“At the Anti-kidnapping office in the morning before they moved him to an unknown destination, they asked my husband to make a statement,
but he refused, stressing that he cannot make any statement until his lawyer comes since they refused to tell him his offence.
“The policemen then said they’re taking my husband to Abuja and it was at this point that they dropped me, and left with him.
“Till now they have not told us what is my husband’s offence. Our people in Abuja have not seen him either,” she narrated.
The Royal father’s wife however cried out over her husband’s health and life, stressing that nobody understand their evil plans over him.
She pleaded for quick intervention of the State Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as both the offence and whereabouts of her husband are not known.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Daniel Ndukwe, said officers who conducted the operation were not from Enugu Command, but from Force Headquarters, Abuja on investigative assignment.
