Evil called a man

I had a strange experience on a recent trip to Nigeria, which still sends shivers down my spine.

I visited Nigeria in the first week of February 2012; I visited a village called Okwe-Ukwu in Ikwuano Local Government, Abia State. This was due to a story of some evils a man called SAMUEL OGBONNA had committed against the people of the village, which had generally caused fear among the inhabitants. To verify what I had heard I went to this village to see for myself.

From a reliable source I learnt it started in Lagos where he was living in a place called Bariga. My source claimed he murdered a young man in cold blood and ran away to relocate to another part of Lagos. Between 1991 and 1992, he and a friend stole and sold a man's car after which he went into hiding. The Police went to his village to arrest him, but took his mother instead when they couldn't find him, and brought her to Lagos. She was later released after he was arrested by the Lagos State Police Force. According to my source and the people in Okwe village, he was never prosecuted for the said crime but was rather released under strange circumstances which greatly surprised everyone. He moved back to Okwe village after his release and joined a group called EKETENSI, known for a host of nefarious activities. He suddenly started being friendly to many people in Okwe through which he found a lot about those foolish enough to divulge their personal information to him. He began to forcefully collect people's lands which he sold off. When the land owners protest and present their case before the court in Isiala Oboro, he will then go behind and pay off a couple of people and the court then swings justice in his favor. This the court does by judging the case without the presence of the land owner or his counsel. The land then becomes his. Fed up with his evil activities, his mother confronted. For daring to stand up to him, he locked up the poor old woman in a room, without food and water for days on end. The old woman later died in the room.

After the burial of his mother, all his brothers and sisters fled the village in fear of their lives. He continued in his evil ways by using charms and guns to intimidate the people and taking their lands, he used the guns to coerce people to sign documents which he uses against them.

In the case where a landowner physically challenges him, he threatens that the person would die in three days, and indeed before those number of days are over, the person would be found dead. This is another reason why the people in the whole of Okwe Village have been living in fear and no one wants to do anything against him because they don't want to die.

What surprised me most is that according to my source when anyone calls the police from Isiala Oboro in connection with these atrocities being committed, they do absolutely nothing. Eyewitnesses claim the police say he pays them large amounts of money to look the other way. This man Samuel Ogbonna does not have any paying job yet he has built his own house which has shops in front as well as bought a car. These I believe were bought from the proceeds of selling people's property.

I asked why they still buy the lands from him knowing he stole them from their rightful owners. I was told most of the land is purchased by one short man from Umubara Okwe. I also learnt that the said man married his own sister, which happens to be a taboo. Because this man connives with Samuel Ogbonna in his nefarious activities, the man left Umubara and built a house close to Samuel Ogbonna's. I was also made to understand that others who usually buy the lands are living abroad, so the purchases are done through their solicitors. Once the buyer expresses interest in acquiring the land, the solicitor goes in to inspect the land and the documents, which Samuel Ogbonna and his accomplices will sign the documents, the solicitor makes payment and leaves.

I was further informed that he killed about five (5) members of the Chibo family and tried to take their land which is their birth right, the information got to one Uchemadu Chibo who stays in Lagos who knew that he would not get justice against Samuel Ogbonna if he reported him to the police who work hand in hand with him. He took the law into his hands by bringing some thugs from Lagos to Okwe Village. Samuel, on seeing the thugs fled from the village. Again I heard he is responsible for the death of man called Innocent Ututu an Ex-Police Officer whom he saw as a threat to him. He went further to murder the brother of the said officer, Nwokoma Ututu, as well as their parents, and proceeded to take over their lands, out of which he has sold most, and is looking for buyers for the rest. I had to write this as the wife of Dimgba, whom he made mad for challenging him just died. I wrote this to bring the plight of the people of Okwe Ukwu to the Federal Governments attention, as well as the public to help save them from this dangerous situation.

I suggest that a thorough investigation is made into the matter to bring Samuel Ogbonna Umuokezie-Okwe Oboro Ikwuano LGA to book.