Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun has ordered for the immediate release of the three traditional chiefs, Isaac Ebilima, Igwe Linus and Daniel Nweze, that were detained at the AIG Zone 4 in Makurdi since last week over a fake petition by the Deputy Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Lami Danladi that they were engaged in the operation of an illegal detention cell in Ado Local Government where they were keeping kidnapped victims.
Recall that the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Lami Danladi Ogenyi had petitioned the Office of the Inspector-General where she accused Engineer Oche Sunday Oche and the three traditional chiefs of operating an illegal detention cell where they used to keep kidnapped victims in Obioye.
On receiving the petition, few days ago, IGP Egbetokun directed a full scale investigation into the case, an order which led to the arrest and detention of the three chiefs at AIG Zone 4 in Makurdi, the state capital of Benue State.
However, the O/C Crime of the AIG office in Zone 4, CSP Mannase Orhena who led the IGP Special Team from Abuja to Ado Local Government on Sunday was told by residents of the community that there was no illegal detention cell in any part of Obioye area of the local government.
During the field investigation on Sunday, the IGP Special Team was told by residents that the place where the petitioners claimed to be an illegal detention cell contains an open market square and a Catholic Church where people are buying, selling and worshipping without fears.
Nigerian Concord newspaper gathered that the Inspector-General after he was briefed on Monday morning about the true position of things in Ezza ordered the AIG of Zone 4 in Makurdi to immediately release the detained chief.
The people of Obioye who spoke with this newspaper after the IGP Special Team left the scene on Sunday stated that both Ezza and Effium had been at war for over seven years, adding that Nkechi Okafor who used to be their president-general was always collecting money from them to procure arms and ammunition to fight the other community. “Nkechi, at a point went and built a mansion in Abuja and started living as a big woman. It’s on record that she has been sharing these funds with the deputy speaker” they noted.
They pressed further that: “But now that the current chairman, Sunday Oche, has come, he has been able to return peace to both communities and as a result of that, our elders no longer donate money for Nkechi Okafor to get them arms and ammunition. She at some points threatened them but the elders said no, that they weren’t ready to go into another war again, and this angered her.
“They even told her that the local government chairman with the supports of Governor Hyacinth Alia had returned peace and also that they had returned back from the IDPs in Igumale to their ancestral homes so they didn’t want her help them on arms and ammunition again. This actually stopped her and Lami Danladi from getting money from the community to share as they used to do, and this angered the deputy speaker who vowed to remove the chairman at all cost.
“According to our elders in Ezza community, Nkechi Okafor had led them into many wars with Effium just because she wanted to be collecting huge millions of Naira from them under the guise of helping them to procure arms and ammunition but they have stopped the donations since the current chairman had returned peace back to the two warring communities”
Meanwhile, the Ado Descendants Union in a press statement signed by its President, Dr. John Onazi last night commended the Nigeria Police Force for being able to clear airs on the fake allegations made against Hon. Oche by the deputy speaker who has been reported to be breeding a militia in the local government for her political gains.
The group commended the IGP over his professionality and bravery with which he unraveled the lies in the allegations against the traditional chiefs and the Executive Chairman of the local government, Engineer Oche Sunday Oche.
Dr. John Onazi said that the Inspector-General of Police should immediately called the deputy speaker and her partner in crimes, Nkechi Okafor to explain why they have been procuring arms and ammunition for two warring communities in Ado Local Government.
He added that: “The leader of the IGP team having done his satisfactory investigation expressed his disappointments on the petitioner’s so-called victims Blessing, Emmanuel and Ukoro for fabricating lies and saying different things from what the deputy speaker and Nkechi Okafor had stated in their fictitious petition where they made series of allegations against the local government chairman. The team leader immediately asked all the fake victims in Danladi’s petition to report at the AIG Zone 4 in Makurdi next Monday for further interrogation.
“Blessing who is one of those Danladi put in her petition as one of the victims was even asked to show her back, thigh and legs where she claimed to have been given matchet cuts in presence of the IGP team. But she could not. She only showed a bruise on her front knee which the investigation team noted.
“Also, Blessing’s husband was brought before the IGP team, and he testified and revealed that his wife was a prostitute, liar, criminal and evil person who Nkechi Okafor is using to cause trouble in their community. The husband also stated that the community had already banished her due to her character.
“All the people that were interviewed by the IGP Special Team in the area denied the existence or knowledge of any detention cell where kidnapped victims were being kept in the community.
“The owner of the house was also invited by the team, and he openly stated that there was never a time he rented his house out to any person in his life time for any criminal business. He added that he sells provisions and also operates a barbing saloon in an extension attached to his house”