Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The people of Umu Ike Diugwu village in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra have protested the arrest and parade of their son, Ernest Okoye a.k.a IBB as one of the principal suspects in the murder of President-General of Nimo community in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
The protesters comprising elders, women, youths, and children carried placards with inscription “Our son, Ernest Okoye, is our village/family chairman, not a murderer,”, “It is a step up because of community politics,”, “IBB is innocent of the allegation,”, “It’s a complete setup,”, “We need a proper investigation into the matter and justice,” and “Our children under his scholarship scheme,” among others.
The community marched from its ancestral/family hall to Obosi town hall calling on the police and Governor Willie Obiano to intervene and release their son, wondering while Okoye was arrested and paraded by the police after they arrested the prime suspect and declared three others wanted and Okoye was not among them.
The leader of the village and head of the family, Diokpa Onuora, Jonas Onobuogu, described the arrest of Okoye as set up by those who vowed to deal with him after he (Okoye) was elected chairman of village/family and had contributed to the progress of the area.
“We know Ernest Okoye as a quiet person; he is our chairman; he works with Julius Berger construction as ad hoc surveyor at the site of Second Niger Bridge.
“His arrest was a set up by those who wanted to bring him down after he was elected the chairman of the village after many years those who were in the position refused to step outside even when their tenure had expired.
“We call on Governor Obiano and police to conduct a serious investigation into the matter and release our son because he is innocent of the allegation. Okoye has never participated in any evil thing in this village; he is an upright and honest person who wants peace and progress of our village and Obosi community,” Elder Onobuogu stated.
The oldest man in the family Ogbueshi Mike Maduegbuna said that the allegation against Ernest Okoye was false and a set up to dent the image of the young man and the entire family.
He said that those orchestrated the ugly thing were from the village; they had been in a leadership position for over ten years but refused to step aside but wanted to continue in office forever, saying that the truth must be unveiled by the security agencies that Okoye was never involved in the murder case as alleged.
“We are not happy that some people will cook such falsehood against his own brother. Government should institute an inquiry into the matter. Why did the first suspect arrest mentioned those who committed the murder with him yet the police declared them wanted and after some days the police proceeded to arrest an innocent person who was not among those wanted persons? Something is fishing; it is totally set up, so he should be released,” Maduegbuna stated.
The mother of the suspect Mrs. Obiageli Okoye said that since his son finished his programme at ESUT, Enugu, he came back home to form Obosi Youth Vanguard to fight cultism in the community.
She said that he was given the nickname IBB by the nurses at the hospital where he was born on the day former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, took over the government in 1985.
“My son is a peaceful man, some children are on his scholarship scheme; he has his own football team called Umuchineke Football Club.
“It was Obosi community that nominated him to represent them as an ad hoc worker as a surveyor at Second Niger bridge project, since that time he will go to work in the morning and come back in the evening. I wondered when he had the time to go to another community to murder somebody; my son is innocent; they should release him,” she appealed.