From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The Obosi traditional stool yesterday disclosed that cache of drugs suspected to be cocaine and heroine recovered from a peddler was willingly handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) as part of efforts by its traditional ruler to sanitise the community of illicit drugs.
Palace Secretary of the Obosi Kingdom, Igwebuike Shedrack Okenwa who spoke on behalf of the Eze na Ndi Ichie na Abummadu Obosi community during a world press conference yesterday noted that contrary to the news that a cache of drugs was found during a raid on the palace of Eze Obosi, it was the traditional ruler that actually invited the NDLEA to take possession of drugs recovered by the Obosi vigilante operatives.
The royal cabinet of Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosi said it was most unfortunate that the good works of the Obosi people to assist the NDLEA has been turned into a show of shame describing such earlier report as false, shocking, embarrassing and defamatory.
Setting the records straight, Okenwa said “the truth of the matter was that on February 17, 2021, Obosi Vigilante operatives were on regular patrol in the hard drug infested area of the town referred to as Ojunoh or Cocaine avenue when a young man upon sighting them, took to his heels”.
“The vigilantes chased and arrested him and found substances suspected to be hard drugs in his bag. They brought him to the palace of His Majesty, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, Eze Iweka III, Eze Obosi. A video operator was summoned, who made a video coverage of the interrogation of the drug peddler, stating his name, the name of the drug baron who owned the drug and other pertinent information”.
“His Majesty, Eze Iweka III, personally contacted the Anambra State Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Musbahu Idris who promised to send NDLEA operatives to come and sign a document prepared by the palace and collect the substances confirmed to be cocaine and heroin by the drug peddler”.
The Anambra NDLEA Commander, Idris who was ill at the time, eventually sent a team headed by an officer named Mr. Erhi who arrived at the palace and picked up the said hard drug, signed a receipt and left. A video was shot of his visit with Cabinet Chiefs present”.
They also demanded from the NDLEA hierarchy, a retraction of the said publication in a press conference encompassing the major print and electric media in the country, adding that only such wide scope publicity on the subject matter would be acceptable to Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosi and the people of Obosi Kingdom who are agitating for justice.
“It is therefore most shocking, embarrassing and defamatory incident to witness the totally false and misleading articles in diverse print and electronic media, erroneously stating that the said cache’ of hard drugs was uncovered as a result of a raid on the palace of His Majesty by NDLEA officers”.
“It is most unfortunate that the good works of the Obosi people to assist the NDLEA has been turned into a show of shame. The Commander, Idris had shown immense gratitude in writing , for the recovery and handover of both illicit substances. His Majesty, in turn, had thanked and praised the relatively new Commander for his gratitude and pledged to assist in checkmating the profileration of hard drugs in Obosi”.
“It is worthy of note that the NDLEA under the leadership of the immediate past Stat e Commander, Mr. Sule Momodu, formed such an efficient synergy with the Royal Cabinet of Eze Iweka III, which helped decimate the drug trade in Obosi and effected the arrests and convictions of drug barons”.
“It was as a result of his efforts in tackling hard drugs and other vices that the NDLEA wrote a special letter of appreciation to Eze Iweka III dated July 1st, 2013.
We hereby call on the hierarchy of NDLEA to retract the said false publication and tender an unreserved apology in a press conference encompassing the major print and electronic media in the country, since it is only such wide scope publicity on the subject matter that would be acceptable to Eze Na Ndi Ichie Na Abummadu Obosi and the people of Obosi Kingdom who are agitating for justice”.