Suspected hoodlums have attacked the house belonging to 60year old widow who is the mother of the Ebonyi State chairman of the Human Rights,… Defenders (HURIDE) in Ogboji community in Ezza North LGA.
In a statement made available to 9News Nigeria on Friday, Chinasa Awo Okereke,
State Publicity Secretary, HURIDE stated that the hoodlums attacked the house, looted virtually everything and immediately set the building on fire and waited until it was completely burnt down before they left.
According to the statement, the attackers are suspected to have been sponsored by some big politicians in Ezza North LGA of Ebonyi state who have been having issues with Activist Sampson Oko Nweke, the state chairman of the Human Rights,… Defenders (HURIDE) whose mother’s house is so burnt.
He said information “got to HURIDE that the ugly incidence happened at the early hours of 30th April 2023 around 1am. It was reported that our chairman’s mother, her two daughters and two grandchildren were all sleeping inside the house when the hoodlums attacked and were shooting directly into the house. But God saved them from being burnt alive as they managed to escape through the backdoor.”
The statement reads in parts,
” However, a confirmed report says that police has swung into action following a petition signed by the victim and fortunately, some of the perpetrators have been arrested while others at large are still being searched for. Those arrested so far are: Monday Nweke Ote, Samuel Itumo Egbara and Adindu Nwigwe Oke.”
” It could be recalled that on the 7th of February, 2023, the chairman of Ezza North LGA, Chief Ogodoali controversially arrested the state HURIDE chairman,
Activist Sampson Oko Nweke, levelled trumped-up charges against him and later saw through his arraignment in court. Afterwards, our chairman addressed the world on circumstances surrounding his arrest and speedy prosecution. He did this using his verifiable Facebook handle on a post he made on 9th February 2023, paragraph two. Our chairman alleged that on that morning before he was arrested in Chief Ogodoali’s Onwe Road Mansion, that the man issued raw threats to him even before everyone in his compound that he will kill our chairman and demolish his compound in the village. Could attack this be a manifestation of such threat?”
” Moreso, in another facebook post on February 13 2023, our chairman raised a similar alarm that the same politician mentioned above sponsored one Ebubeagu officer from Oshiegbe community to raise a petition against him claiming that he (Oko Nweke) killed one Charley Adigbo, the late Ebubeagu Commander of Ogboji community which was shot dead In his compound.”
” In that very post, our chairman decried that he was also accused in the said petition that he was the one launching attacks on Ebubeagu operatives in Ezza North and snatching their motorcycles. But maybe because the information of this petition got to public knowledge and the press, that made them surreptitiously withdraw same and never proceeded with it because they knew it was a false allegation being masterminded against the popular activist.”
” Similarly, it is in wide speculation that the big politicians in Ezza North recently did everything possible and still doing to link our state chairman, Activist Sampson Oko Nweke to the death of his brother, Peter Nweke who was killed during governorahip election in Ogboji community. It is said that they used and still using political loyalists and appointees from the Ogboji community to suppress, intimidate and instigate untold hate and total conspiracy against activist Nweke in their village and entire Ezza North. It is reported that they had conspiratorily concluded that Sampson Nweke killed his brother, Peter Nweke and therefore, he must be killed immediately without leaving any traces. But according to reliable information, our chairman’s only saving grace was that he got a hint from a trusted source, of a grand conspiracy to eliminate him at all cost which made him to flee the state to an unknown location to save his dear life first and since then, has never been heard of, till date.”
” Meanwhile, when it obviously dawned on them, that our chairman, activist Oko Nweke had moved beyond their reach and plans to kill him without traces, they summarily included his name in the petition of Peter’s murder lying before the police. In the petition, they said that our chairman was fighting with his brother Peter Nweke at the polling unit during voting and that he called some thugs who came and joined him to beat Peter to death. Some of them speculated that activist Nweke was the one who called the people that killed his brother, Peter. Others said, he was the one who conspired with someone to point out his brother to be killed. These are different stories cooked by same conspirators bent on eliminating an innocent man.”
” HURIDE is however glad to note that the case of the murder of Peter Nweke is already before the police and the police in Ebonyi state is still working round the clock to unravel the true killers of Mr Peter through discreet investigation processes.”
” So, if the speculation is verified that the hoodlums were actually sponsored to burn down the house of Activist Nweke’s mother with the intention to kill her alongside her children, it is very sad and punishable too, and perpetrators must be brought to book.”
” Our chairman’s aged mother, his two sisters and two other children who were sleeping in the house during the attack narrowly escaped death, but unfortunately, not even a pin was saved from the house. Everything including the properties, wears, children certificates and the woman’s life savings including 30 gallons of stored red oil; all were consumed by the fire.”
” To HURIDE, this attempt to strip the poor widow of her to rights to life and that of her children is so painful, heinous, callous and very condemnable. The group will do everything humanly possible to seek the assistance and collaboration of other relevant Human Rights and Humanity bodies to support the police in this in order to ensure that justice is done and adequately so, for the persecuted poor widow.”
