Things fall apart in Anambra communities over blame game

It is time of reckoning for suspected ‘terrorists’ from Ogbunka as their acts of invasion and destruction of property of the people of Owerre-Ezukala have led to the need for them to flee their community in the Orumba South Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State, and the Deputy Governor of the State, Mr. Emeka […]

It is time of reckoning for suspected ‘terrorists’ from Ogbunka as their acts of invasion and destruction of property of the people of Owerre-Ezukala have led to the need for them to flee their community in the Orumba South Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State, and the Deputy Governor of the State, Mr. Emeka Sibeudu is involved in the blame game that has ensued.

A motorcyclist from among his kinsmen of Umunze, headquarters of the LGA and Umuchu in Aguata LGA was burnt alive by the Ogbunka terrorists on rampage at Owerre-Ezukala that fateful day, June 23, 2011.

Deputy Governor in the line of fire

The deputy governor’s convoy was attacked by the Ogbunka militants when he stormed the scene to rescue the people of Owerre-Ezukala. This did not sit well with the Umunze people who are said to have declared that the attack on the deputy governor was an attempted murder which they would not forget.

The Ogbunka people are accused of having hired terrorists from outside, even as unconfirmed reports claim that the boundary between Ogbunka and Ugwungodo axis bordering it with Awlaw in Oji River LGA of Enugu State witness presence of Fulani people whom the natives dubbed ‘Boko Haram’ members. The allegation is that the Ogbunka militants used the Fulani cattle rearers as informants to decode when the enemy or security operatives were on their tracks.

It is said that a cave exists around the Ugwungodo axis bordering Ogbunka and Awlaw, in Oji River LGA of Enugu State. A makeshift structure meant for security cover, according to a source, was set up by Ogbunka terrorists who at the outset hired militants from the riverine area to prosecute communal cleansing and annexation against Owerre-ezukala. It is not clear if the Fulani cattle rearers are really members of Boko Haram, but our source claims that the cattle rearers at the Ugwungodo area and the Ogbunka terrorists are working together.

Killing and kidnapping binge

The Owerre-Ezukala Caretaker Committee led by Alphonsus Ikegwu, in a letter on the invasion and destruction of properties in Owerre-Ezukala, addressed to the  Commander of the 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha urged him to use his good office to invade and destroy the illegal arms depots and kidnappers’ den at Ogbunka.

The Ikegwu-led body, in another letter reference OCC/AD/053 dated 24th June, 2011, accused some prominent individuals from Ogbunka, including a senior staff of a national examination body, of sponsoring the hoodlums.

Some suspects are on the run as a combination of army and police officers have laid siege on Ogbunka in search of the suspected hoodlums. 21 of them were caught, charged to court, and remanded in Awka prison on Tuesday June 28.

The source of illegal weapons being used is still a mystery but the security agencies are said to be closing in on the named suspects.

A member representing Orumba North and South, Hon. Ben Nwankwo who visited the gory scene lamented the wanton destruction at Oweere-Ezukala, saying that the area would soon witness an unprecedented army of refugees.

A petition by Citizen Osy Peter Ibe, addressed to the National Task Force to Combat Illegal Arms, Ammunition and Weapons, says what happened was an annihilation of Owerre-Ezukala.

Part of the petition reads: “The Ogbunka terrorists backed by hired militants carried out acts of arson, burning and destroying the Community Secondary School, Owerre-Ezukala on May 7, 2011, June 11 and June 23, 2011 respectively. In the second arson in which the Offices of the School Principal, Vice Principal, General Administration and Bursar were completely burnt, the arsonists  equally razed down the  Corpers’ quarters and robbed them. The highpoint of their annihilation mission came on June 23, 2011 when the Ogbunka terrorists/militants invaded Owerre-Ezukala community shooting, killing and maiming innocent and defenceless indigenes, including the sick, the aged, men and women.”

Moreover, the  Caretaker  Committee of Owerre-Ezukala led by Alphonsus Sunday Ikegwu had in a petition to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police fingered some persons as sponsors and users of illegal weapons in circulation at Ogbunka..

Detained and talking

Those in detention are believed to have given the details of how they operated with the assistance of a dreaded native doctor they recruited and were paying heavily like the hired militants. The native doctor is said to have used a mirror to monitor the activities of the ‘enemies’ and security operatives which enabled the Ogbunka terrorists to operate with much ease, not only in attacks in Owerre-Ezukala but also in kidnapping people.

“Two indigenes of Owerre Ezukala kidnapped have traced their hideout around the hinterland and border between Ogbunka and Awlaw in Oji River LGA of Enugu State,” stated a petition dated June 21, 2011, few days to the mayhem.

The arms depot and hideout, Sunday Trust gathered, is located around Umueji-Ufuma and Umunebo-Ogbunka outskirts.

THE POLICE AS VICTIM

For long, there remained a pervading atmosphere of insecurity in Anambra State as the  Ogbunka terrorists continued to attack the police at the Orie-Ogbunka market axis where they constructed six illegal bumps to slow down vehicles taking Isuochi – Umunze road and attack their supposed enemies.

Trouble started when the policemen were stationed at the Orie-Ogbunka to stop the militants from attacking and kidnapping travelers and indigenes of Owerre-Ezukala. It was gathered that when Ogbunka militants discovered that the presence of the security personnel in the community would not allow them to prosecute their agenda, they decided to adopt hit-and-run tactics against the Police.

According to a witness, the Ogbunka militants attacked the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) attached to the Divisional Police station over the day 21 suspects from Ogbunka charged to court and remanded in the Awka prison.

Meanwhile, Sunday Trust gathered that the police prosecutor handling the charges of murder, arson, stealing and malicious damages and conspiracy to commit these offences, had penultimate Friday refused a plea by counsel to Ogbunka for the security operatives to relax their manhunt for more suspects from Ogbunka for prosecution.

However, Police Public Relations Officer for Anambra State, Emeka Chukwuemeka who commented on the question of renewed attacks of security officials, denied any such development but said investigations were on regarding the reports to that effect.

Peacemaker: Were they also rapists?

The shooting war was in any case drawn bad blood between the Ogbunka community and Anambra State Deputy Governor Emeka Sibeudu with the community accusing the deputy governor of deploying armed policemen into the area. The police, they said, had been raiding homes, looting personal property and raping teenage girls in the community.

A spokesman for Ogbunka and former Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Venerable Chris Orajekwe whose home was allegedly vandalized by men suspected to be the policemen, alleged that security operatives had been perpetrating atrocities in the community.

In his own reaction, the President General of Ogbunka Development Union (ODU), Cornwell Obi shared the view of the Chairman of Awuka Ogbunka Village Meeting, Professor Onyinye Okpala, who asserted that the deputy governor had colluded with Owerre-Ezukala people and made it impossible for peace to return to the war-torn area.

“We have made spirited efforts to meet with the deputy governor on this matter but everything failed. We have reached several resolutions and agreements but the Owerre-Ezukala people have not agreed with us. At a point we had the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Mr. Agbalaka, who came to carry out the resolution and implement what was agreed but the other people refused.”

Ogbunka, the police, Sibeudu; who is guilty?

Okpala heaped some of the blame on the state government, saying, “had it been that government took action much earlier, this would not have happened. We had also called for a panel of enquiry into the root and immediate causes of this crisis, yet nobody seems to be interested. But I know that the truth will be made public, because I wonder particularly why the deputy governor is accusing us of causing the crisis.”

The Deputy governor debunked the allegations and blamed both the Police and Ogbunka people for the escalation of the crisis, stating that he had no vested interest in the matter.

“I am from Umunze town in Orumba South Local Government Area and it is a long distance from Owerre-Ezukala.

The deputy governor further narrated how the police and other security operatives failed to respond to distress calls before the incident escalated.

“Had it been the police came in early enough this casualty would not have been experienced. The Umuchukwu Police Station is near but they could not do anything even when they were called to help. It took my intervention on that evening when I was told of what happened at about 7:30pm for everything to be put under control. I saved an old lame woman of about 85 years whose house was burning on that fateful evening. Government wishes to express its readiness and capability to resolve the matter and I wish to add that we will not relent in our efforts to restore peace in Ogbunka and Owerre-Ezukala towns.”