Published: anuary 28, 2016
Breaking
A
fire brand youth leader and P.R.O, Abavo Youths Union, Mr. Chukwudi
Eric has been declared wanted by the police for allegedly stirring up
public unrest and revolting against constituted authority in Abavo
kingdom, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.
In
a statement released by the Divisional Police Public Relations Officer
of the Abavo Divisional Headquarters, Assistant Superintendent Marvelous
Okeke on Thursday stated that Mr. Chukwudi spearheaded a series of
protests and violent riots against the Abavo Monarch H.R.M Uche Irenuma
II which resulted in the destruction and loss of properties worth
millions of naira.
It was also alleged that Mr.
Chukwudi was actively involved and coordinated the agitations for
seccesion by the group known as the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB)
in Delta and some other Eastern states of the country, which led to
violent clashes with armed security personnel, leaving death and chaos
in their wake.
In the words of the Police Public
Relations Officer, “we are all out and leaving no stone unturned to
ensure that Chukwudi Eric and other of his collaborators are apprehended
and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
He
enjoined the general public to come forward with any useful
information/tip-off that may lead to the arrest of Chukwudi and his
cohorts.
He finally charged the youths of Abavo and
all other aggrieved party to shun violence and be law abiding in order
to forestall future clashes and uprisings in the community.
In
a bid to balance the report, one of the youths of Abavo, who pleaded
anonymity was interviewed by one of our reporters and he gave a rather
contrary version of the entire saga.
He stated that
the issue started in 2014 when the youths and people of Abavo Kingdom
rose against the Abavo Monarch HRM Uche Irenuma II mandating him to
abdicate the throne due to his renowned cruelty and illegitimate rise to
the ancient throne of Abavo Kingdom.
“As an
outspoken youth leader, Chukwudi Eric was at the forefront of the
struggle to force the monarch to relinquish power due to his draconian
tendencies and majorly for the fact that he ascended the throne
illegitimately.
“A lot of people lost their lives
with their properties destroyed as the estranged monarch left nothing to
chance in ensuring that the clung on to power.
“However,
at that time, the 2015 general elections was close at hand, and as
such, politicians and prominent sons and daughters of Abavo tried to
broker peace between us and the Obi (Monarch) in order for us (Abavo) to
work in one accord to deliver the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP
and present governor of Delta State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.
We sheathed our swords and worked assiduously to deliver Dr. Okowa and
were promised to be rewarded handsomely for our role upon his emergence
to power.
“But upon assumption of office, nothing
was done to empower the youths of Abavo. Some of us as a result of this,
were willing tools to be used by the IPOB agitators which was
masterminded by politicians and interest groups. Many of us lost our
lives as the military were very ruthless in quashing our secessionist
agitation.
“As a result of this, Chukwudi Eric our
P.R.O rose up and demanded that these politicians give to us all that
was promised, else he would go public with their involvement in the
entire crisis. They fought back and used the state apparatus to trump up
false allegations on him, sent hired assassin (thugs) after him and
consequently an arrest warrant was issued on him for disruption of
public peace, electoral rigging and secessionist agitations,” he said.
It
was also gathered that a man hunt was put upon Mr. Chukwudi, as a
result of which he fled Abavo Kingdom in December 2015 and has since not
been seen or heard from.
