Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The Abakaliki Catholic Diocese has reacted to the continued detention of one of its priests, Rev. Fr. Timothy Ngwuta, by the Police in the state.
The Church in a statement, said efforts to secure bail for the priest, who has been in detention since March 11, have been hampered by an Executive Order preventing any court in the state from hearing matters relating to the Effium/Ezza-Effium crisis.
The Church’s statement, signed by the Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Mathew Opoke, followed mounting condemnation of the Diocese for keeping mum over the arrest of the priest.
Various groups and organisations have condemned the arrest and detention of Fr. Ngwuta who was remanded in prison by the Court.
The Church in the statement urged the people of the state to pray that God would touch those responsible for his continued incarceration to listen to voice of right conscience.
Background:
Effium is a town in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Two major clans are said to inhabit the town. They are the Uffiom clan popularly referred to as Effium people, and Ezza clan referred to Ezza-Effium people.
The Effium intra-communal crisis which has become intractable started off as a motor park disagreement between two factions battling for leadership of the park in the community.
The crisis began as a clash between two factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the town in January 2021 but soon spread into the community.
Despite various attempts to end the crisis and deployment of security agencies to restore order, the situation has increasingly deteriorated with hundreds of lives so far lost in the crisis and properties worth billions destroyed.
It is alleged that some communities in the town have been completely razed and sacked with thousands rendered homeless and seeking refuge in other towns and local governments.
One of such persons sacked from the community is Fr. Ngwuta, who was a Parish Priest in one of the Catholic Churches in the community before the attack.
Many of those sacked from Effium took refuge in neighbouring communities in Ishieke, a town in neighbouring Ebonyi local government area.
Arrest
Fr. Ngwuta, according to the Church’s statement was arrested on 11th of December 2021 at Mbeke, Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area.
The statement claimed that the priest had gone there to help his friend, Jude Ariom, retrieve his Toyota Sienna car which was parked there.
Though, the statement did not give details of who the said Mr Ariom is, a search on social media shows that he is a Medical Doctor working at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki(AE-FUTHA).
The Church, in the statement, said the Priest after informing the Police in the area of his mission and getting their permission to move the car was arrested by members of a Vigilante in the area while trying to move the car.
The statement reads: “On Saturday, 11th December 2021, Fr. Timothy Ngwuta was arrested by the Nigeria Police at Mbeke Ishieke, Ebonyi Local Government Area where he went to help his friend, Jude Ariom, retrieve a vehicle that was parked there.
“Before Fr. Timothy arrived Mbeke, he proceeded to the Police Station to obtain clearance to move the vehicle whose tyres were deflated.
“The Police at Mbeke granted him permission to take the vehicle away after he had settled their bill for guarding the car for a period of two weeks.
“In the course of inflating the tyres, the local vigilante swooped on him and his companions, demanding further settlements.
“Fr. Timothy informed them that the settlement with the police was meant to take care of them as well,” Fr. Opoke, wrote in the statement.
The Diocesan Chancellor further narrated that after a short while, a different set of local Vigilante group arrived, bringing about some altercations between the two groups.
He stated that Fr. Timothy and those who came to assist him move the vehicle were arrested by the local vigilante and handed over to the same Police who earlier had given him clearance to move the vehicle.
Detention, alleged torture
The Church alleged that the priest was transferred to the police headquarters Abakaliki, where he was tortured.
“Fr. Timothy and his companions were subsequently brought to the Nigeria Police Headquarters at Abakaliki the following day and detained for a period of twelve days.
“He was tortured. He was later released on bail, when his health began to fail him on account of the torture he received while in detention.”
The Church said that after his release on the 23rd of December 2021, the priest was required to be reporting to the Police Station weekly which he adhered to.
Re-arrest, murder charges
The Chụrch in the statement further stated that the embattled priest was re-arrested in March and arraigned in court on allegations of involvement in the murder of five construction workers killed in the area last year and other criminal acts relating to the Effium communal crisis.
“Just when we thought the matter was over, he was rearrested on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, and on the 11th of March 2021, arraigned in court for kidnapping and murder of the five NELAN Engineers, attack on, and murder of Police officers, aiding escape, arson, promoting inter-communal war etc.”
The Church said it was worried how the issue of going to recover a car parked outside the war zone (a different Local Government Area) has metamorphosed to such accusations as contained in the charges against him.”
While noting that the identity of the owner of the car was disclosed to the Police by Fr. Timothy together with the contact address and phone number, the church said that “it is rather surprising to hear that Fr. Timothy is shielding him.”
The church therefore noted that “Fr. Timothy Ngwuta comes from Ezaa Effium: whose hometown has been decimated by the inter-communal war between the Effium/Ezza Effium.”
It noted that Fr. Timothy Ngwuta vehemently denied all the charges and sees himself as a victim of circumstances.
“Fr. Timothy Ngwuta states unequivocally that he innocently went to help a friend retrieve his vehicle and was not aware that the vehicle was used in the commission of crimes as alleged,” the statement said.
The Church while condemning acts of violence, incitement of violence, wars, kidnapping, arson, or any crimes noted that it will not shield anyone involved in such dastardly acts.
It, however, urged the security forces to do a thorough investigation and ensure that the priest who has, in conscience, stated before his Bishop, that the accusations are entirely false, is not punished for offences he knows nothing about.
“Efforts to secure his release on bail have been hampered by the Executive Order preventing any Court in the State from entertaining matters relating to Effium crisis. Recently the motion for bail was refused on the 12th of April.”
“The Church in the name of God, appeals to all the people of Effium and Ezaa Effium involved in this inter-communal war, to lay down their arms and embrace the path of peace.
“Nothing justifies the senseless killing and maiming of innocent lives. Peace can never be achieved under the barrel of guns,” the statement said.
The Church said that since the matter is before the courts, it will not be making any more statement on the case.
It further urged all to withhold judgment and let the case run its course.
“We implore all people of good will to join us in praying God to touch those responsible for the incarceration of Fr. Timothy to listen to the voice of right conscience.
“We commend the whole process into the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Priests and the Star of Evangelization. Pray for peace in our State and in the Country,” the Church added.
No Executive Order on Effium crisis- Commissioner
Reacting, Ebonyi State Government denied issuing any Executive Order stopping the judiciary from entertaining matters relating to Effium crisis.
The state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Cletus Ofoke, who spoke in Abakaliki, said the state government cannot issue such order stopping the judiciary from performing its constitutionally assigned roles.
He said:” There is nothing like Executive Order on the Effium crisis, there is nothing to that effect. Of course, government can never issue order stopping court from doing its legitimate duty. It is aimed at tarnishing somebody’s image and maligning the government. There is nothing like that.”
“Once a matter is in court, nobody talks about it other than for the legal process to take its course. This is what Ebonyi State Government has done and the government has no hand in the priest’s case.
“The case of the priest is purely a legal issue from police to court. So, nothing concerns Ebonyi State Government and it is not only the priest that is being incarcerated over the matter there in Effium.
“People are aware that so many people have been charged to court; some of them are in prison, some of them are being tried by court. So, the priest is also a human being,” he said.
