Vigilante Boss Petitions IG over Alleged Abduction, Interference with Investigation

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Chairman of Amichi Central Vigilante Group, Anambra State, Mr. Jephter Okeke, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, on an alleged case of abduction by one Chief Alphonsus Ofobike Ezeoke.

In the petition, he alleged that Ezeoke, who has a case of abduction and stealing against, was unduly interfering with the investigation surrounding the abduction and stealing saga.

The petition reads in part: “This is to formally bring a complaint of undue interference with investigation of allegation of abduction, stealing and prosecution of same which is a pending charge in court and false information against Chief Alphonsus Ofobike Ezeoke.

“Who by false information to the police has surreptitiously procured the transfer to the monitoring unit at the headquarters of a pending case in court and subverting the investigation of a criminal allegation involving abduction against him.

“Of which he was avoiding arrest and prosecution at the Anambra Police Command Headquarters at Awka. 

The petitioner in his letter to the IG explained that: “I, Mr. Jephter Okeke, the chairman of Amichi central vigilante group, who refused Ezeoke using me and the group to commit atrocities and intimidation was abducted by armed carrying persons purportedly acting on the orders of Ezeoke.”

According to him, “I was taken to his palace where I was bound, and detained unlawfully and my vehicle was driven by them as well to the palace and all my belongings forcefully taken from me.”

He narrated in the petition how he narrowly escaped from his abductors who he alleged that sole motive was to kill him. “I was able to escape from his abductors due to intervention of some people and my vigilante men and I reported the incident to the Divisional Police Command in Amichi and as well the police headquarters Awka, Anambra State, where your officers promptly arrested the suspects save for  Ezeoke.”

He accused his abductor of trying to evade justice when it became clear that the police were closing in on him; “on realising that the long arms of the law would be extended to him for his complicity in the abduction refused to honor police invitation. The matter was consequently transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department at the Nigerian Police state Command Awka.

“The matter was thoroughly and professionally investigated and case was established against the suspects by the command.

“The suspects were charged to court accordingly on various allegations including illegal possession of arms and ammunition and stealing.

“The Igwe Alphonsus Ofobike Ezeoke who was implicated in the commission of the crime again escaped arrest by the police from the state command.

“While still being wanted to answer on the allegation against him, he contrived a means to avoid arrest and prosecution by proceeding to Abuja to falsely make allegations against me the complainant and the police.

“This is with a view to stalling the investigation in his complicity in the crime and the prosecution of the matter that is already before the court.

“I view the situation where a person suspected of having committed a crime against the state would refuse to honour police invitation nor report to answer to the allegation against him, but would seek the intervention of another command of the police to thwart investigation and prosecution as contemptuous of the Nigeria Police Force.

“In view of the above, and the fact that the chain of command has been broken and the suspect is yet to  report to answer to the allegation of crime against him, his action would amount to interference with investigation and prosecution by the state command.

“We urge you to use your good office to ensure the suspect is not protected and shielded from investigation on allegations against him and the other suspects already indicted by the police, by directing that all the case files relating to the matter are harmonised and investigated by the state command of the Nigerian Police Anambra State ably headed by the Commissioner of Police Sam Okaula.

“We enclose herewith a copy of the petition to the police  at the state command together with the charge No: NMC/15c/2017 dated 19-1-2017 in the Magistrate court of Anambra State of Nigeria in the Magistrate Court of Nnewi South Magistrate District holding at Ukpor.”