The Anambra State Police Command said it operatives have arrested one Okwudili Ogana, over the alleged abduction and murder of the traditional ruler of Ogwaniocha community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Oliver Nnaji.
Ogana, who is said to be a native doctor, allegedly masterminded the abduction of the monarch, together with some youths in the community, when they invaded the palace of Igwe Nnaji on November 15, 2021, razed the building and took the monarch away.
The suspects were apprehended by the police around the premises of a court in Onitsha, on March 18 and taking to the Awkuzu Police Station, where they are making confessional statements, which also revealed that the monarch had been killed.
The police in the state, had, sometime in January, 2022, declared 21 persons accused in the abduction of the monarch, wanted.
Confirming the arrest, the police spokesman in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspects were apprehended through the ongoing collaborative efforts by security agencies and members of the public.
Ikenga said, “We declared 21 persons wanted in connection with the case and the members of the public have been providing us with information leading to arrests of the suspects, so we got the information that one of them(Ogana) was seen along the court premises in Onitsha, so our men mobilised and got him arrested.
“Because of the collaborations going on with other security agencies, there have been some arrested suspects. It is when we collate all the names that we will actually know the total number of those arrested and their leader.”
He added that about 10 of the suspects had earlier been arrested by the Special Forces of the Nigerian Naval Base, Onitsha, during a midnight raid of the Ochan forest camp of the hoodlums on December 31, 2021.
However, some members of the community, who stormed the Awkuzu Police Station, where the suspects are kept, protested against granting the suspects bail and also demanded for the case to be transfered.
They claimed that Ogana and his group had earlier been arrested, granted bail and later came back to be “terrorising” the community.
Speaking to our correspondent on Monday, the son of the monarch, Prince Nnaji Reginald and some elders of the community, expressed dissatisfaction with the way the case was earlier handled and therefore called for the possible transfer of the case.
Nnaji expressed worry that the suspects were earlier on granted bail despite overwhelming evidences against them and their utterances and confessional statements.
He regretted the manner previous cases involving the suspects were handled by the court, expressing fears that the present case might not receive the required justice.
He stressed that his father would not have died if the court had not granted bail to the kingpin.
He said, “On Friday, the suspects, at the police station admitted to have abducted and killed my father. The whole episode saddens my heart because I can’t believe that I will grant interview over what I least expected in life.
“This is a slap on Ogwuaniocha community sacred stool because the stool has been desecrated. Those found guilty must have to face the full weight of the law.
“But from all indications, the court in the community is biased because the judge had quashed an earlier case involving the kingpin. We are calling for his removal or better still, the case transferred to Awka or Onitsha.
“We don’t want him to continue with the case. If he had not granted bail to the kingpin, my dad would not have been a dead man today.”
Also speaking, the community youth leader, Prince Ignatius Nnaji, expressed disappointment over the state government’s approach to the issue.
“The past administration did not visit the community to ascertain the level of demage. Several lives were lost while over 500 buildings were razed. Over 80 per cent of residents have been rendered homeless. We appeal to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene,” he added.
