From Chuks Collins
The lingering local ruffling of leadership feathers in Alor Community, Idemili South Council of Anambra State may have assumed a disturbing dimension.
And the hitherto traditional ruler of the community, Chief McAnthony Okonkwo who was dethroned by an Anambra High Court few years ago may be arrested in consequence.
Okonkwo had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters against the President General of Alor, Chief Emma Ojukwu, alleging amongst other things, that the PG has not been respecting or according him due regard as the traditional ruler of Alor. That the PG has not been extending invitations to him for attendance of key meetings/events in the community in his capacity as its traditional ruler.
Consequently, a team of twelve heavily armed policemen invaded the Lagos residence of Chief Ojukwu.
The sight of this army of armed police officers sent shock waves and intense fears into the entire neighborhood. It was such that road users, residents and even passers-bye deserted the area instantly. A very frightened Ojukwu’s wife and children couldn’t near the gate as the manner of banging made her suspect it was armed robbers. She instead resorted reaching out to her husband, neighbours, relations and the police!
Incidentally her husband was elsewhere in another part of Lagos attending a previously scheduled business meeting. He had to cut the meeting short the moment information of the unfolding ugly development at his home got to him.
When the PG’s kinsmen arrived, the wife on hearing and recognizing their voices, came out to open the gates.
After discussing with the police team leader, it was agreed that they should come to their Alagbon Close office at Obalende, Lagos the next day, Tuesday, July 9th, 2024, along with the PG.
When approached for his comments, Chief Ojukwu noted that besides the initial shocks of seeing that heavy police presence in his home, “I must say that the police team from IGP Monitoring Unit, Obalende, Lagos, acted professionally all through my discussions with them.
“My wife and family members were incredibly traumatised with the number of police men who came because at first, they didn’t know who they were.
” I went on Tuesday, July 9th, 2024, I honoured the police invitation as agreed, alongside my kinsmen.
“The Assistant Commissioner of Police, a fine gentleman told us that he was under the directive of the DIG, General Investigations, to bring me to Abuja.
It was late in the day and not enough seats on any Abuja bound flights that evening. As a result I was not allowed to go back home. I was detained overnight at Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Early morning Wednesday, July 10th, 2024, i was taken to Abuja.
It’s sad that since I came into office as the President-General of Alor People’s Convention, Mac-Anthony Okonkwo has written several false and malicious petitions against me. He has written petitions to the Divisional Police Officer, Nnobi Police station. He has written petitions to the Anambra State police Command Headquarters; he has also petitioned Police Zonal Headquarters 13 Ukpo; and now, to FCID, General Investigations, Abuja. Okonkwo is a serial petitioner.
The most worrisome is the direct threat pronounced by his younger brother, when we were at Zone 13 Hq, Ukpo in the Assistant Commissioner’s office, when the young man threatened, saying in vernacular, that is it because somebody hasn’t fallen in Alor, that’s why you people haven’t run away from all this’.
“At the FCID, after hearing from me, i explained each and every allegation in his petition, backed up with documentation to the satisfaction of the interrogating police officers, they discovered that the whole allegations against me were clearly false and baseless. I was then allowed to go home and to return when they need me.
I thank Alor people worldwide who called and prayed ceaselessly for me, especially those in Lagos and Abuja, including those in Abuja who came in their numbers to receive me at airport on arrival and accompanied me to the FCID, Abuja, and stayed all day with me”.
A visibly undeterred Ojukwu insisted that “I am here for peace, and I want to use this medium to once again call for genuine peace. I’m calling on all our brothers who feel aggrieved or unhappy to come to a round table to discuss all grievances so as to find lasting peace consistent with Alor Constitution, value system. We don’t have to set a bad precedence in for the younger ones. To do this, we don’t need the involvement of the police or any security agent or outsiders to do it for us. It is only Alor people that can do it themselves…”, Chief Ojukwu stressed.
The police team after hearing from me set an August date when to invite Okonkwo.
They had expressed dismay that going by the content of documents I tendered he has no genuine reason to quarrel with me for not according him any special recognition. Because, the Chief law Officer of Anambra State, that is the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice in a letter dated August 22, 2023 to the community through their representative stated, ” Finally, it’s the opinion of the Honourable Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice that since the motion for stay of execution had been dismissed, he should not parade himself as the Igwe of Alor or perform any function in the name of Igwe of Alor until the High Court judgement is overruled by the appellate Court.
“At the interim, he is not the Igwe of Alor.”
Ojukwu pointed out that even if Chief Okonkwo were his father he would not attempt contempt of court by doing anything contrary to the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice’s guide.
Police investigators were not happy that Okonkwo didn’t mention orally or in his petition that he was dethroned. And that attempts to secure a stay of execution of the High Court judgment which dethroned him was dismissed. They were unhappy that he misled them that the PG was the trouble maker. He may be arrested for misleading and misinforming the police.
A repeated calls to Okonkwo’s phone and visit to his Umuokwu village home in Alor met his absence, for his further comments.
