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Ibe Pascal Arogorn, Owerri
The Imo police state command has invited and interrogated Eze Augustine Iwuogu Ezemma 1, the traditional ruler in Mmahu Autonomous Community, Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo state following his alleged complicity in the cold-blooded killing of seven persons in his community.
Crimefacts.news had last week reported how the community accused the Imo monarch of murdering seven of his kinsmen last Tuesday.
Crimefacts.news gathered that the traditional ruler allegedly used four notorious murderers who escaped last year from the Owerri prison to intimidate and silence opposition in the community.
Police preliminary reports have linked the multiple murder to be cult related but recent findings by Crimefacts.news indicate that the cause of killings goes beyond cult clash.
Among those killed last Tuesday were the Town union President-General, Charles Mgbaraho; his Secretary, Chastity Nwachukwu and the Publicity Secretary of the community, Chinedu Anene. Others are Edeme Okoro, Isaac Ojenya, Ndubuisi Okereke and Junior Ifeyinwoke.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
It would be recalled that trouble started in the community last year on August 24th, 2020 when the Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma through the Interim Management Committee Chairman of Ohaji-Egbema Council Area, Marcel Amadioha, appointed Charles Mgbaraho and his team as executives of Mmahu Town Union.
According to several community sources, Eze Augustine Iwuogu did not hide his misgivings over the appointment and so vowed to resist the Town union appointment until they were removed.
Among several efforts to reverse the appointment or antagonise the appointees, some indigenes of Mmahu in Rivers states, loyal to the monarch, petitioned the Imo state Police command accusing the new Town union executives of causing problems in the community. But in the course of interrogation, it was discovered that the group loyal to monarch maybe complicity to the many killings in the community and as such four of them were detained last Thursday.
A community source who gave his same as Akpi Okaro told our correspondent that, “sometime in June last year, in the course of a meeting in the palace of Eze Augustine Iwuogu, one Uche Nwokocha, while strolling round saw the four convicts who escaped from Owerri prison on April 5th 2021, at the back side of the palace. He came back and raised the alarm in the meeting among his kinsmen, two days after that being 6th June, they murdered him. On 15th June, 2021, Onyekachi Ugwuoha was killed by the same gang and on the 4th of July, 2021, Athanatius Nwokocha, Uncle to the murdered Uche Nwokocha was also killed by the gang for supporting newly appointed Town Union leadership and blaming the convicts for the ugly occurrences in the community.”
POLICE INVITATION
An anonymous source told Crimefacts.news on Saturday that Eze Augustine Iwuogu, Ezemma 1 was on Friday invited by the Imo police in connection with the killing of seven persons in the community.
The police on Friday said preliminary investigation revealed that the killing has elements of cultism. And that ‘Ossy’ an escapee from Imo Correctional Centre Owerri led the cult group known as ‘De- Gbam’. While the persons killed are suspected to belong to another cult group known as ‘De- Well.’
A source close to the police told Crimedacts on Saturday that the traditional ruler who has been on the run after the killing of the seven victims was invited to the station for questioning over the constant killings in the community .
The traditional ruler was invited to the Egbema Divisional Police station for explanation of the constant killings in his kingdom by some suspected notorious killer gang.
The police also invited the traditional ruler to the command headquarters in Owerri, Crimedacts.news learnt.
More to follow……
