Suspects freed after hacking man to death for stealing paint

*We’ll charge them to court soon-Police

The late obinna

Residents of Aji Community, Enugu Ezike, Igbo Eze North Local Government Area, Enugu State are not happy with the police release of seven members of a vigilante group who allegedly murdered two members of the community.

The community members claimed that the killing of  Oforma Itodo and Obinna Onaja in  2014 by the vigilante group, was masterminded by a top government official in the community. The death of the men sparked off protest, leading to police intervention and ventual arrest of the seven suspects.

Itodo

Chief Ignatius Ugwuanyija, a leader in the community recalled how the men were killed.

He said: ''It started with Oforma Itodo.  He was slain on March 3, 2014, barely four days after burying his mother.   He was butchered like a fowl. Two weeks later, another son of the community, Obinna Onoja, was also hacked to death on flimsy reason that he stole buckets of paint from the building site of the top government official.”

Some of the suspects

Ugwuanyija said that the vigilante group has been terrorising the community on the orders of the government official. He said on the day that Onaja was killed, the group stormed the deceased’s home and told his parents that the government official wanted to see him.

Since the group took the Onaja away, his parents had not seen him. When his mother dared to ask them about her son some days later, they said Onaja was hale and healthy.

“Since then, till now, the poor man had not been seen. The family and concerned members of the community are unable to take any action because we feel the government official is untouchable. He has connections with Igbo Eze North Police and Enugu State Criminal Investigations Department(SCID),” said Ugwuanyija.

The parents of Onaja were not able to fight for justice as any police stations they took the matter to, the case seemed to fall apart.

“We petitioned the Inspector General of Police. Policemen were sent to us. As soon as the vigilante group was arrested, the government official flew to Abuja. He came to brag that his men would soon be out of detention,” said Ugwuanyija.

Few days later, the group was back in the community, allegedly causing more havoc. It was further alleged that after their return from police detention, more killings started

“This time around,a mother of five children, Cecilia Ijeh from Umuodoeje Village, was assassinated. Her lifeless body was dumped inside a water tank in the village,” Ugwuanyija said.

Ugwuanyija noted that the community’s traditional ruler, Igwe Simon Osisi Itodo, as the Chief  Security Officer of the community, was not happy with the activities of the youths’ vanguard.

Ugwuanyija said that an  autopsy report dated July 9, 2014, which was carried out in the presence of Sani Sunday,(ASP) as investigating police officer (IPO), Inspector Sunday Onah, Abuja and Corporal Paul Evarest, Enugu, stated unequivocally that Itodo was in good health until he received machete cuts on different parts of his body. He died from the injuries.

President-General of the town union, Chief Arumah Thaddeus, like Ugwuanyija, fingered the government official as the cause of mayhem in the community.

Thaddeus noted: ''I made observations that both the town union, the neighbourhood watch and Onyishi (eldest man) palace are threatened as some people are bent on hijacking the three arms of government existing in Aji Community.”

Thaddeus alleged that some elders in the community had compromised or are scared witless and thus had kept mute while security situation continues to grow worse in the community.

“There is a parallel town union; one was at the instance of some people who used officers of Enugu State Government and the commissioner to select caretaker committee. We contested it in the court of law because there was no provision for care- taker committee in our constitution,” said Thaddeus.

He continued:  “The court granted an injunction and ordered the other group to stop parading itself as caretaker committee. The threat is still on because the other group failed to obey court's order. This is a serious threat to the town as the court restored powers of the town union.  The security network is at the prerogative of the traditional ruler.”

Thaddeus said that a  man was imposed on Aji Community as chairman of the neighbourhood watch. He said the neighbourhood watch has failed the community.  

He alleged that rather than do what is right and follow the rule of law, the vigilance group, as the neighbourhood watch, dances to the dictates of the government official in the community.

Thaddeus said the group  became armed, leading to the deaths. His words: “ They are well armed by their master who claims the arms were on police records. At a time, they challenged the other group that have allegiance to the traditional ruler, surrounded and disarmed them of their catapults, torch lights and arrows and up till now, those things are still in their custody.”

He said that since the emergence of the neighbourhood watch, there had been several killings. “Oforma Itodo was apprehended and hacked to death at the market place. Within a gap of two weeks, Obinna Onoja was also butchered to death. Just recently, a woman was killed and dumped in a tank.  Some people were arrested, later released. They’re still living in this community. They’re still committing all manners of crimes. We heard they were released after the government official paid large sums of money at Abuja.''

When contacted over the recent developments in the area, Police spokesman in the state, DSP Ebere Amarizu, said he had earlier confirmed the killings in the area.

He added: ''I assure you that as soon as investigations are concluded, we will charge the suspects to court. For now, I’m assuring the people of the community that there is no cause for alarm. Nobody, no matter how highly or lowly placed, can influence us.”