as robbers raid palace few days to burial of ruler
By Chidi Nkwopara, Owerri
Ekitiafor autonomous community in Abba, Nwangele Local Government area of Imo State, is a sleepy rural area that had been very peaceful. Their unity of purpose was and is still legendary. This explains why they remained united in their quest to attain autonomous status.
Soon after achieving their collective desire, they not only chose their traditional ruler, Eze Timothy Chikwendu Uzoka, but also started working towards the man’s coronation. They actually planned very big for the event, but nature played a fast one on them. The royal father died barely two days to his coronation. Members of his immediate family and other well placed indigenes of the community naturally returned home and started planning for the burial. While this was going on, little did they know that another tragedy was in the offing.
Igwe’s wife,Ngozi Uzoka
In the early hours of June 3, 2013, just few days to the burial, daredevil armed robbers stormed the home of the late traditional ruler and carted away priced valuables belonging to members of the family.
The first information report from the royal family revealed that about six of the armed robbers forcefully gained entry into the palace while four out of the six were armed with guns. “Six of the armed robbers gained entry into the late royal father’s home. Two out of the four robbers were masked,” the Traditional Prime Minister of the community, Nze Ononenyi Uzoma told IE blog.
According to Nze Uzoma, the robbers were able to identify the widow and actually called her by name, adding that “this lends credence to the suspicion that there must be a local content to the robbery incident.” Continuing, the TPM who now doubles as the Regent confirmed that the robbers dispossessed members of the royal family of cash and personal effects, including jewelries and the widow’s American passport. “Apart from the N400,000 cash and jewelries, the most painful aspect was the stealing of the widow’s American passport. The late royal father’s widow, Ugoeze Ngozika Uzoka is an American-based Attorney and we are all wondering what her fate will now be,” Uzoma said.
Convinced that the robbery had “a local content”, the community immediately started holding serious meetings and sniffing around the nooks and crannies of Abba for clues that would eventually lead to the arrest of the fleeing hoodlums. While saying that the matter has been properly reported to the police, the traditional Prime Minister however, expressed worry that as at the time of the initial interview, the police were yet to visit the scene of crime.
A source in the village said as the days rolled by, it looked like the robbery incident was going to be one of those unresolved criminal cases. “The community elders met again, especially when they realized that the vigilant group was moribund, following the non-payment of their monthly stipends for about one year.
Another solid finding of the elders was that robbers did not come in a vehicle or on a motorcycle. They reportedly asked for the key to the family vehicle but were warned that if they made the mistake of going close to it, the installed alarm would be triggered and the entire community would be awakened. With this warning, the robbers distanced themselves from the vehicle and threatened to kidnap the late royal father’s second son, Prince Lawrence Uzoka. It took the plea of the widow for the robbers to change their mind.
Obviously feeling badly insulted by the incident, the Regent called a final meeting that eventually saw to the changing of members of the vigilante group. Parents and guardians were also directed to ask their children and wards to come forward with any vital information that would lead to the arrest of the fleeing criminals. The community also threatened to invoke the gods of the lands if this process failed.”
It was gathered that few days after, the suspected ring leader of the armed robbery group who was simply identified as Onyemauchechukwu, walked straight to one of the leaders of the vigilant group and admitted that he and his group committed the crime. He, however, warned that his group would kill more people if he disclosed his identity and connection with the crime to anyone. Fear, naturally gripped the vigilante boys but the elders did a few things to encourage them. This happened on a Thursday.
Police sources said by Saturday night, the gang leader did not know that he was now under serious surveillance. He came out at about 7pm to the market square to drink and was quickly rounded up. He was taken to the police post which the community built but no policeman was there.
One of the elders who spoke on grounds of anonymity said that when he was interrogated, he started rolling out the names of his colleagues in crime, stressing that his three friends were spotted in Owerri, Port Harcourt and Enugu. “Our first captive used his phone to call his colleagues and informed them that there was another operation. So, they started coming to Abba one after the other and they were picked as they came into the area. The last person returned on Sunday,” the elder recounted.
Continuing, the elder explained that all the suspects are indigenes of Abba, adding that when each of them said where they dropped their loot, people rushed there to recover such stolen items. “Three of the suspects are from Ugwuaga, Abba, while the remaining is from Ekitiafor, Abba. We recovered one single-barrel and one double-barrel gun that were cut to size. We also recovered six live cartridges”, the elder said.
IE blog gathered that the widow’s jewelries, one ladies handbag and one out of the four telephone handsets stolen during the armed robbery operation was recovered. The entire community was however unanimous in appealing to the police to ensure that the robbers do not return to the area.
Speaking later, the widow described her experience as “very traumatic and an experience I do not wish even my worst enemy”.
Confirming the development to IE blog in a telephone interview, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mrs. Joy Elemoko, a deputy superintendent of police, paid glowing tribute to the villagers that assisted the police in arresting the fleeing robbers. “Four suspects are now our custody over the recent armed robbery attack in late Eze Timothy Chikwendu Uzoka’s palace,” the PPRO said.
