The security situation in the state worsened Monday night, May 7, 2012, following the brutal murder of Eze Stanley Akuneto, the traditional ruler of Umueze-Abazu, Ogwa, Mbaitoli local government area of the state.
Vanguard Metro, VM, investigations revealed that the two gunmen, who were operating on a motorcycle, stormed the royal father’s palace at about 9pm when most people had gone to sleep.
It was further gathered from a villager, who did not want his name in print, that the gangsters did not betray their principal mission when they asked after the traditional ruler.
“When they were taken to where the traditional ruler was relaxing, they quickly shot him at close range and sped away on their motorbike into the dark night,” the villager recounted with grief.
Another woman, who could not hold her emotion as she spoke, described the late royal father as “a lover of his people, soft-spoken, sincere to a fault, unassuming and a fine gentleman”.
Eze-Elect, Nze Nwaozuzu:
She wondered why anybody or group of persons would have conspired to snuff life out of the man, even as she denied that there was any form of crisis in the autonomous community.
Efforts made by VM to get in touch with the community’s Traditional Prime Minister, George Obinna Asi, failed as he was said to be “out of town on a business trip”.
When VM called the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Sam Oodee, for his comments, the fellow that picked his phone claimed the gadget had a problem which he was fixing and urged our Correspondent to call in the next 30 minutes.
The Eze –elect of Awo Mbieri autonomous community, Mbaitoli local council area of Imo State, Nze Oliver Nwaozuzu, was luckier because he was merely abducted by gunmen from his village church.
The euphoria of Nze Nwaozuzu’s recent victory at a plebiscite conducted in the community by the state government had hardly died down before he was picked by hoodlums.
VM investigation revealed that about five hours after his kidnap, the Eze-elect’s car, which was allegedly used to ferry him into the kidnapper’s dungeon, was spotted at the foot of the Niger Bridge, Onitsha, Anambra State.
A villager who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity lamented that “the community was thrown into palpable confusion” and he passionately appealed to the security agencies to ensure his safe return to his subjects.
Another middle aged housewife, whose identity could not be ascertained at press time, was reportedly kidnapped by rampaging kidnappers in Umunoha community, also in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state. VM gathered that the woman was on her way to Umunoha community in her Toyota Avalon saloon car when she was forced to stop and then abducted by the gangsters.
When contacted on his mobile phone, PPRO Oodee, said the Command was aware of the reported kidnap of the citizens and was already investigating the cases.
Answering another question, Oodee passionately appealed to the citizenry to form the habit of passing useful information to the Police, stressing that the organisation can only be effective if given credible tips.
Through sheer God’s grace and abundant mercies, Nze Nwaozuzu has breathed the air of freedom again. The jubilation that greeted his return was unprecedented. He spoke about his ordeal to journalists.
He recalled with grief that his abductors were four middle aged men. They all pointed their guns at his wife, driver, personal assistant, a policeman in mufti and himself, as soon as they stepped out of Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Awo Mbieri.
Nze Nwaozuzu gave a graphic account of how every other occupant of his car, including his wife that was constantly invoking the name of Jesus Christ, was ordered out of the vehicle a few metres away from the church.
“It was sheer God’s grace that my life was spared. As God will have it, two of the young men told me that they were instructed not to feed me at all but instead, they fed me with moin-moin, beans and rice all through the three nights in the stuffy rooms where I was detained”, Nwaozuzu recounted.
The Eze-Elect equally revealed that he was detained in the same place with the Managing Director of Milan Pharmacy, Owerri, Chief Sylvester Okere. Answering a question, Nwaozuzu expressed belief that kidnapping is being perpetrated by a highly organised syndicate which law enforcement agencies need to tackle with clinical finesse.
It was not clear at press time if Nze Nwaozuzu paid any ransom to secure his freedom but the truth remains that these are not the best of times for Imo people!
| Posted: at | |
Idbabe
TRENDING GISTS 
Suspected Sextortion Blackmailer, Olamide Made £2m Vows To Release Embarrassing PIC/VID Of Boys
VIDEO; "Grammy Don Cast, Make We Manage Headies" – BBnaija’s Whitemoney
Crystal Palace v Manchester Utd: English Premier League Match,Team News,Goal Scorers and Stats
Heartbroken Father Mourns His 14yr Old Daughter Who Was Reportedly Poisoned in School
Nigeria's VP, Shettima Departs Abuja For 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas
Yvonne Jegede Reveals The Truth About Colleague, Mercy Johnson, While Calling Her Out (Video)