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No fewer than 10 persons are presently cooling their heels in police cells in Ebonyi state following the bizarre flogging of a young pastor, Oko Chukwu Obeni, a native of Ndukwe Amasiri Village in Afikpo North council area of Ebonyi State.
Obeni was allegedly flogged 36 strokes of the cane while his elder brother bought-off another 14 strokes with the sum of N9,500.
His offence, Crimefacts.news gather was largely linked to a series of Facebook posts he allegedly made against leaders of his community and particularly, the Chairman of Afikpo North LGA, Hon. Ogbonnia Oko Enyim and some other stakeholders in the area.
In a statement released by the Ebonyi State Police Command and signed by the State’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah, the victim is presently receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.
The statement read in part: “On 14/05/2020 at about 5:pm one Pastor Oko Chukwu Obeni aged 30years of Ndukwe Amasiri village in Afikpo North LGA of Ebonyi State reported at Afikpo North Division that Isi Oru Age Grade led by one Julius Amadi Nyerere and deputized by one Eze Ogbonna all of the same address dragged him to the Ogo playground in the area, tied his hands to his back and flogged him severally with canes inflicting multiple injuries all over his body having drenched him with filthy water.
“Following the report, the victim was immediately taken to the hospital for proper medical care and he is responding to treatment.
“Subsequently, The leader of the Isi Oru Age Grade, Mr. Julius Amadi Nyerere and Nine (9) others were arrested in connection to the case.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the assault was as result of a post made by the victim in one of the popular social media platforms “Facebook”, condemning a particular action of Afikpo North LGA Council Chairman, Hon. Ogbonnia Oko Enyim and Commending the Traditional Ruler of the area and his cabinet over the decision taken against the Council boss for such action, that the LGA Council Chairman’s loyalist were allegedly angered by this post in the said platform causing them to take the laws into their hands thereby committing a heinous crime.”
Accordingly, the Acting Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State, DCP Yekini A. Ayoku has ordered a full-scale investigation into the matter.
