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A cleric and social critic in Amasiri community, Afikpo North council area of the Ebonyi state, Pastor Oko Chukwu Obeni, has narrated his ordeal in the hands of his kinsmen and leaders of Essa, Eto and Isioru community who allegedly tortured him to an inch of his life.
Brazenly, the community justified its action against Obeni.
Obeni was said to have made some posts on his Facebook wall against some leaders of the community which the said leaders considered as defamatory, malicious and capable of jeopardizing existing peace in the area.
According to him, his hands were tied behind his back, rubbed down with garbage from the gutters, then bathed with dirty water and given 36 strokes of the cane over for the said misdeed.
His elder brother had to buy-out 18 strokes of the cane with N9,500 in accordance with the tradition of the community.
The 18 strokes of the cane made it 50 strokes, as it is for anybody that goes contrary to the rules and regulations of the community.
Obeni who is currently hospitalized at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital(AE-FUTHA), later apologized to the community over his action.
The incident occurred last Thursday and the video of his torture went viral on the internet, eliciting public outcry.
But the community justified their action saying the victim desecrated the authority of the community by insulting the leaders through his Facebook posts which they said were slanderous and capable of portraying the community in bad light.
Speaking to reporters yesterday in the community, Vice Chairman of the Essa ruling Council in the community, Chief Godfrey Oko said “the security outfit of this community the Isi-oru handled that situation. The boy was found guilty of defaming people’s character by the falsehood he was publishing in the internet against individuals and against the Essa ruling council.
It is untrue that he was forced to eat faeces and extremely maltreated in the manner the enemies of the community are portraying it.
“All we are after is the good governance of our community, how to bring back peace; the elusive peace in Amasiri. Before now, the state knows that Amasiri has been a very volatile area in terms of violence, cultism, robbery and all sorts of anti-social behaviours. So, that is why the community had to introduce the Isi-Oru as the vanguards and security outfit of the community to checkmate this type of misconduct.
“We are not partisan and anybody who tries to whip up political sentiment in what we are doing here in Amasiri is making a very big mistake because we have our traditional ways of handling issues and we do not do it arbitrarily; somebody must be giving chance to defend himself when he is being accused of committing an offence in the community and that is democratic enough. We always discuss an offence one commits in this community within ourselves and if you are found guilty, we will dish out punishment accordingly. It’s not jungle justice.
“Anybody who commits an offence must have to face the consequences according to the rules or laws of this community. What we are doing is according to our tradition; the way we handle things to bring about peace not minding whose ox is gored”.
Narrating the episode, Obeni who is one of the clerics at Gods Descendants Assembly in Amasisri community said “I was called by one Julius Nyerere that I was invited to Essa Chairman’s House. I got to the place and saw Essa Executive seated and all the members of Isioru. They were treating a matter of somebody who fought them, so I waited till they finished the matter. They called me out when they finished. They forced me to lie down and face the ground. After, the Essa chairman Omezue Godwin Elekwa asked me to sit up and come closer. He asked Amadi Julius Nyerere to brief them about me and he briefed them, telling them that I am posting something against leaders of our community on Facebook.
“I am at the hospital, I can’t make use of my hands, I can’t hold something. The Doctor that just came and examined me today told me to just pray that my present condition is not permanent”.
Source: New Telegraph
