By Jude Atupulazi
The Enugwu-Agidi Royal Palace has weighed in on the reported arrest of a kidnapper in the community, Mr Chukwudi Tansi, saying it wants to set the records straight.
His Royal Highness, Igwe Michael Chidozie Okekeuche (Okpalariam 111 of Enugwu-Agidi) speaking to newsmen through his Press Secretary, Ichie Ifeanyi Ndulue, in Awka, Tuesday, while thanking the Anambra State Government for its recent security initiative, however, denied any personal involvement with the alleged kidnapper as alleged by the President General of the town, Hon Ebuka Onuorah, who earlier accused the monarch of dealing with the suspected kidnapper.
Ndulue, speaking for the monarch, called for a thorough investigation into the matter to, according to him, demystify those collaborating with Mr Tansi and to make sure that justice would take its course.
He said he was particularly happy that the security operatives had risen to the mandate of ensuring zero tolerance for crimes in the state and Enugwu-Agidi in particular and thanked Gov Chukwuma Soludo for what he described as the Governor’s wonderful security framework in the state.
The Press Secretary said the monarch never had any personal dealings with the suspect even though he, Mr Tansi, had been in the vigilante service of Enugwu-Agidi over 12 years before the Igwe’s installation around April 2017.
‘It is ridiculous for the President General of Enugwu-Agidi Town Union, Mr. Chukwuebuka Onuorah, to associate Mr Tansi with Igwe Enugwu-Agidi,’ Ndulue insisted.
On allegations that the Igwe released Tansi from the Police in Abuja, Ndulue said the suspect was released from the police after he was arrested and taken to Abuja on the alleged petition of the PG, and that it was the PG, Onuorah, that effected the suspect’s release.
‘The evidence is there. The President General is obviously not telling the truth. If you recall, Tansi was arrested and taken to Abuja alongside Chika Okoye and Sgt. Clement Okonkwo (Rtd). The PG released Tansi and Chika, leaving Sgt. Okonkwo in custody. That very day, he took them (Chika and Chukwudi) to a hotel in Kubwa, Abuja, where he had a meeting with them. One Mr Chukwunweike Onuorah and others were in attendance at that meeting.
‘The police should, as a matter of urgency, call up that matter and investigate the details of that meeting, because, on arrival to Enugwu-Agidi, the PG quickly employed Mr Tansi as a gateman. So, to the best of my knowledge, Chukwudi Tansi is working for and with Ebuka Onuorah.
On whether the monarch enlisted the suspect in the 20-man vigilante team requested by the State Government, he said, ‘The fact is that the State Government’s directive clearly Corroborated the Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union constitution in the sense that His Highness, as the Chairman of the Enugwu-Agidi Security Council, can only rely on the nominations from the village chairmen for the enlistment of anybody as a vigilante member pending the approval of the Security Council.
‘The Council, which consists of the Igwe as Chairman; the PG as the Secretary; the Divisional Police Officer and others as members; is to jointly screen the nominees in line with the written directive of the Village Chairmen in which His Highness categorically emphasized crime-free records, acceptable conduct and agility on the part of the nominees.
‘Neither the PG nor anyone else, called the attention of His Royal Highness to any reason(s) why Tansi should be excluded from the list.
‘My take is that Ebuka Onuorah should not hide under the guise of the arrest of Chukwudi Tansi to de-market Igwe Enugwu-Agidi. He should be bold to tell the public that his fallout with His Highness was premised on Sundry petitions which border on his involvement in the gruesome murder of Mr. Anayo Nworah; uncountable number of land grabbing cases; violent attacks on Etiti Village Chairman; establishment of armed militia in the town; criminal intimidation of the vulnerable indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi; overbearing activities against the traditional institution of Okpalariam Enugwu-Agidi; illegal imposition of levies and collection of fines from indigenous developers, bereaved families and so on.
‘We have copies of petitions previously written to both the Anambra State Government and the security agencies to investigate the activities of Mr. Chukwuebuka Onuorah and his criminal gang. Now is the best time for the State Government and the police to do the needful to install sanity and achieve lasting peace in Enugwu-Agidi.
‘The President General of Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union should not, for reasons of personal gain or politics, undermine the integrity of HRH, Igwe Michael Chidozie Okekeuche, who meritoriously served the Federal Government for 35 years and retired as a Director in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF),’ Ndulue stated.
He contended that the PG, who he alleged, had no educational background or visible means of livelihood, should be the last person to link the town’s monarch to any criminal ventures of not just Mr. Tansi, but anyone else, noting, that it was tantamount to applying a low-quality emulsion on a glossy wall, which, he said, could neither stand the test of the sun nor the slightest rain.
Corroborating the Press Secretary, the Cabinet Secretary, Ichie Pharmacist Victor Okeke-Mgbajiaka, said that the PG’s allegations against the monarch were aimed at diverting attention to his land grabbing from which he, Onuorah, had raked in millions of Naira to live in grandeur, even more than commissioners in the state.
Okeke-Mgbajiaka, along with Mr Emeka Emenka, Chairman of Obunagu Achalla, a village in Enugwu-Agidi, accompanied the Press Secretary to the briefing.
