Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Worried by incessant attacks on his people by cultists, the Eze Ibom Etiti and Ibom Isii of Arochukwu ancient kingdom, in Abia State, HRM Mazi Amos Ngwu Egbu Okoro, has called on Gov. Alex Otti for intervention.
Addressing newsmen in Umuahia, Eze Okoro said the invasion of his community by cultists needed urgent Government intervention.
He said the cultists had killed a number of people in the community and must be stopped as his people now live in fears.
The monarch demanded justice for the victims.
He regretted that despite complaints to security agencies, the perpetrators had continued with impunity.
He appealed to Governor Otti to come to the rescue of the community.
The monarch said the community was willing to mention the names of the perpetrators if Government and security agencies were ready to take action.
He said: “Our children are killed unprovoked by those who are supposed to protect their own in society. Yes, as a King, I can’t cry but my heart bleeds because both the oppressed and the oppressors are my children,” he lamented.
“The attack and eventual death of Mazi Kboy Okereke; the gruesome murder of Chinedum Ezumah Ukwu in front of his own twin brother by his own kinsmen, are undesired.
“The essence of this press briefing is among others things, to seek justice which the victims have not gotten all these years,” the monarch lamented.
He called for the arrest of the perpetrators and their sponsors for peace to be restored to the community.”
“I want Government to crack down on cultism in my community. We say no to cultism, we say no to hard drugs. We know those behind hard drugs in Arochukwu and are willing to disclose them if Government is ready.”
Adding his voice, a relation of one of the victims, narrated how his late brother, Kingsley Kanu Okereke, was butchered by the devil-may-care cultists in a broad daylight.
He said that his brother, 63, who was attacked by the rampaging cultists on May 5, 2023, eventually died as a result of severe bodily harm and matchete wounds inflicted on him by the cultists.
Okereke regretted that no arrests had been made since his brother died one year ago despite the fact that the victim escaped to the police station where he reported the matter.
On the same vein, parents of one of the victims, the late Chinedu Ezumah, 18-year old university admission seeker, demanded justice for their son.
A Civil Rights Activist , Onyebuchi Ndukwe, who said he had been following up Ezumah’s murder by the cultists claimed the deceased was killed for allegedly turning down the request by the cultists to join them.
Onyebuchi expressed dissatisfaction over the way security agents were handling investigation into the matter, saying that two persons arrested in connection with the matter had escaped but one later re-arrested.
He challenged security agencies to be firmer in their investigations.
