Israel Ubah and Moses Chukwudi Onwueme have appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to protect their lives and ensure justice for the looting and burning of their homes and businesses in Ogurugu community, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The family claims that influential community members are obstructing the investigation and prosecution of suspects, forcing them to seek shelter in neighbouring villages.
Israel Ubah, a victim, alleged that Adejor Joseph Ezeagwu, based in Germany, sponsored youths to destroy his businesses and houses, led by the traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Egwuaba, and others because he refused to allow Adejor from taking over his family landed property illegally.
A petition filed through Ahretti & Associates lists 31 suspects involved in the arson and looting.
The suspects, according to the petition, are: “Igwe Emmanuel Egwuaba, Adejor Joseph Ezeagwu, Anthony Udokwu, Friday Nweke, Friday Anyagbo, Onyebuchi Aniebo, Chikaobi Adaji, Ejike Udeozor, Ojodali Matthew, Happiness Udokwu, Chidi Udokwu, Amuche Udokwu, Ukwuta Friday, Ukwuta Ndubuisi.”
Others are: “Sunday Obiora, Umoulu Devision, Ayogu Onyekere, Chizoba Friday, Ogbali Chikodi, Osi Egwuba, Friday Azodo, Onwubiko Arinze, Abunne Akor, Oginika Εκενε, Udokwu Ofor, Soji Nwangwu, Akor Casmir, Uba Dennis, Okwumaji John, Obalimu Oraekwetu, Emeka Okwumaji, and others.”
The family seeks justice and protection, having been allegedly forced out of their community since May 29, 2024, accused of a crime they claim they did not commit.
Speaking with some journalists in Enugu on Monday, Israel Ubah one of the victims decried the destruction and burning of all his businesses and houses, including that of his relations and in-laws by some youths of the community, who were allegedly sponsored by one Adejor Joseph Ezeagwu, based in Germany.
He alleged that the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Emmanuel Egwuaba, had led the youths for the demolition, looting and burning of his businesses and houses because of alleged hatred for him.
According to him, his refusal to agree to the illegal acquisition of his family landed property by the monarch’s allies was the main cause of the trouble.
He stated that his family members have been chased out of the community for committing no offence since May 29, 2024, when the arson happened, using pretence that he killed a member of the community that was shot and later died over an alleged robbery in another community by security agents who were trying to arrest him.
In a petition to the Inspector General of Police through the legal firm of Ahretti & Associates and dated 20th July, 2024, the petitioners listed 31 names of the people who allegedly participated in the arson and looting of their properties.
The petition, which was written through the Assistant Inspector General, Nigerian Police Force Criminal Investigation Department, Enugu Annex, and signed by Marcel Odigbo Esq. was titled: “Petition for immediate transfer of a case of conspiracy, arson, stealing of N450 million, malicious damage, robbery, attempted murder and conduct likely to cause breach of peace from state CID Enugu.”
Ubah narrated, “On 29th March, 2024, there is one Omaliwi Nwagene, a cousin or brother to Adejor Joseph Ezeagwu who is based in Germany and a member of Igwe’s family. This young man stole my timber wood worth about N1.6 million and I reported him to police and to Neighbourhood Watch in Ogurugu community. He then ran away and went to a neighbouring village at Adani.
“He was hiding from one place to another. When he ran to Adani village, he mobilised a robbery gang again and they went and broke into people’s shops at Adani market and one of the suspects was arrested and he mentioned his name. The police, consequently, asked the Neighbourhood Watch of Adani community to get him arrested.
“Unfortunately, on 29th of May about 5 am, Adani Neighbourhood Watch went to arrest him but on his attempt to escape, there was gunshot from the security men which got him but he ran away. Instead of going to hospital, he ran to a nearby village in Kogi State where they remove bullets locally.
“He was there and gave up the ghost. Adejor in Germany was informed – he and Igwe, they summoned their foot soldiers through the town crier and informed them that Israel Ubah killed Igwe’s cousin – Omaliwi Nwagene and they should take the deceased’s body to my house, destroy and kill everything found. The whole youth of the village and other villagers joined the team. They arrived my shop at the market square in the village, and demolished the shop, evacuated some of my properties and my goods, set some of them ablaze and packed some to their various homes. Over 50 cartons of Agro chemicals in the shop were looted.
“They left from that shop to my village where I built house for my aged mother and burnt it. My mother escaped from being burnt alive with the house by miracle. They moved from that place to my brother-in-law, looted his property and burnt his motorcycle and his house. They moved from that place to my own house where I am living with my family and burnt down my house with property after looting some valuables.
“Some of the things they looted and burnt down are:
- 6 bedroom flat
- two motorcycles worth N2.5 million
- three fans worth N100,000.00
- 10 solar pumping machines worth N450,000.00
- 30 gallons of palm oil worth N600,000.00
- cash of N10 million
- 30 bags of 100kg of rice seedling worth N4 million
- furniture worth N3 million
- foams worth N300,000.00
- three generators worth N500,000.00.
They also looted and burnt down some goods in his shop, which include
- two freezers worth N500,000.00
- 30 cartons of beer worth N210,000.00
- five crates of soft drinks worth N25,000.00
- 6 crates of malt worth N60,000.00
- 8 crates of small stout worth N120,000.00
- other goods like milk, biscuits, energy drinks, hot drinks, Indomie, groundnut oil and other items, worth N47 million
- cash of N3 million
- two POS machine with N1 million in it.
According to him, efforts by the Police in Adani Division to arrest the suspects were rebuffed before he petitioned the State Criminal Investigation Department, Enugu; and the matter was moved from Adani to Enugu; adding, “With help of the detective in the state, three of the suspects – Samuel Okeke, Chito Onyebuchi and Monday Abunne – were arrested.”
When the traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Egwuaba, was contacted, he said, “I went for burial at my in-law in Kogi State. I was still on my way when I got the call from Police Area Commander informing me about what was going on in my community. He asked me to return and I came back. The properties in question had been destroyed. The Neighbourhood Watch Ogurugu office that was burnt I mobilised fund and reconstructed it.
“I didn’t ask anyone to loot and burn some people’s property because I hate them.”
He noted that the mother of the deceased Nwagene told him that her son, before he passed on, told them that Israel Ubah was the person who sent the Neighbourhood Watch that came and shot him.
He added, “I invited all the elders to hear from them what happened. The community subsequently set up a committee to look into the matter and make peace since the person who died had died and properties had been destroyed.”
When Ubah was confronted with the allegation that he was behind the killing of Nwagene, he denied it, he said, “The Neighbourhood Watch agents who shot him had already taken responsibility for the shooting and the person who released the shot had been arrested and detained. This incident happened in another community altogether. So, how, do I come into the picture of the killing?”
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the Germany-based Adejor were unsuccessful as he neither picked his calls nor responded to text message sent to his WhatsApp as at the time of filing this report.
The Force Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, also did not take his calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to him.
