By: Emmanuel Nlewedum
Monarchs of Rundele clan in Emohua Local government area of Rivers State have called on the Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to call his men to order and end the unwarranted harassment and arrest of traditional rulers in the area over what they termed as false petitions by one Nyeche Wojenkwe otherwise known as Eze Great Ogbuagwu Owhor.
Paramount rulers from the five communities of the clan and the council of chiefs made the call while addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt.
Paramount ruler of Mgbuolua community, His Royal Highness, Eze Gideon Omodu who spoke on behalf of the monarchs appealed to the police to accord them their due respect.
Omodu explained that Owhor had written several petitions against traditional rulers and prominent sons of the community to the Police accusing them of allegedly abetting crime and other illegal activities in the area.
He said the Rundele monarchs in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s call for traditional rulers to contribute in the maintenance of peace and security in the country has contributed and sacrificed a lot to maintain peace and security in the area and cannot again turn to ruin their efforts.
The monarchs stated that Ogbuagwu despite failing to prove his false allegations against them on different occasions before the police, has remained a threat to peace and security in the area and alerted the Rivers State Government, the Police and other security agencies of his activities.
According to the monarchs, “The purpose of this press conference is to alert the Rivers state Government, the Police, the security agencies, Nigeria and the world at large to the nefarious activities of one Great Ogbuagwu Owhor. He is a security risk to Rundele, Rivers state and Nigeria.
“To request the Nigeria Police to arrest and change him for false information. Since he has no fixed address here in Nigeria and abroad, the Nigerian Police through Interpol should cause his arrest and repatriation to Nigeria to face the criminal charges against him.
“To prevail on the Inspector General of Police to stop the arrest and harassment of Rundele Traditional Rulers and his eminent sons who have restored peace and security in Rundele and Ndele axis of the East-West road for commuters who ply the road. The Police should accord the Rundele Traditional Rulers the respect given to other traditional rulers in Nigeria.
They further said, “On 26th June 2013, he (Owhor) wrote a petition against the Divisional Police Officer, Rumuji and Mr Lucky Worluh, when called upon to prove his case against Lucky Worluh, he fizzled out.
“On 14th September, 2020, he again petitioned to the Commissioner of Police that Chief S. O. Agbaru JP., the traditional rulers in Rundele and others of an allegation of murder of one Emeka Hanacho. When he was asked to prove his case, he was nowhere to be found.
“It is a common knowledge that Emohua and Ikwerre LGAs were no-go areas between 2017 and middle of 2019. The Ndele/Elele axis of the East-West road was unpassable for commuters by cultists sponsored by Nyeche Wojenkwe who parades himself as Eze Great Ogbuagwu Owhor.
“When Rundele internal security outfit; Rundele Security, Peace and Advisory Community Services (RUNSPAC), struck on June 19th, 2019, with cooperation with the Nigeria Police, Rumuji the cult boys were decimated and peace and security restored to the area. The so called Eze Great Ogbuagwu Owhor was not happy so he resorts to writing frivolous and baseless petitions against the traditional rulers and other notable persons in Rundele to the Nigerian Police with view to entrenching his cult boys to continue kidnapping, maiming innocent commuters and Rundele citizens along the East-West road.
“We call on the police to arrest and charge him for false information”.
Responding, Nyeche Wojenkwe otherwise known as Eze Great Ogbuagwu Owhor said he is innocent of all allegations against him.
Owhor who spoke via a recorded clips made available to the media maintained his claim that the chiefs were abetting illegal bunkering and other nefarious activities in the area.
