Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, is in chaos over an alleged murder, ill treatment and destruction of properties of one of the members of the community.

 

Information gathered by ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER revealed that Ihieorji villagers held one Ezumezu Chiemela Onyema of Ihieorji Ngwa Ukwu village and his wife Mrs Best hostage, burnt down their house, looted and destroyed their properties over allegations of killing one Otuosorochi.

 

On September 5, 2021, one Mr. Sunday Njoku was said to have come to the residence of the affected victim, inviting him to the Ihieorji village hall on September 13, for a case concerning his family.

 

Chiemela Onyenma went to the village hall on the appointed day with his niece, Miss Mkpuruoma Onyenma, where they met villagers including the village head, Mr. Monday Dike seated, all wielding weapons.

 

Ihieorji village head, Dike was said to have coerced the others into attacking Chiemela Onyema, who is being accused of killing his younger brother Otuosorochi Onyenma.

 

The persons present allegedly attacked Mkpuruoma, took her phone, tore her clothes and beat her up as she tried to restrict them from assaulting her uncle.

 

One Nze O. O. Ogwuma was said to have intervened to save the situation but the angry villagers restricted him.

 

Chiemela Onyema was sneaked out by some persons as the villagers concentrated on Mkpuruoma and Ogwuma who sustained injuries.

 

ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER gathered that the angry villagers stormed Chiemela Onyenma’s residence on September 27, 2021, took him, his wife, one Nnabugwu Godwin Njoku and Chinweuba Nwokeleme hostage.

 

They destroyed their properties and felled their oil palm trees, while they barricaded Chiemela’s compound.

 

Chief Monday Dike, the village head, and others were said to have moved the hostages from the village hall to an uninhabited building in a remote area of Ihieorji village called Uzoiyi and tortured them.

 

Videos made available to ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER showed the hostages being tortured and one of them identified as Nnabugwu Godwin Njoku had melted droppings of burning robbers on his bare head.

 

Njoku allegedly died from the assault meted on him that Tuesday night September 28. His remains was allegedly carried in a wheel barrow into a Hilux Toyota vehicle driven by one Chizuruoke Nwogu, and others to an unknown location.

 

The three remaining hostages; Ezumezu Chiemela Onyenma, Ubaeze Chiemela Onyema and Ephraim Nwokeleme, were left at Osusu, a nearby village to Ihieorji village. It was from Osusu that the son of Onyenma named Obinna Onyenma carried his father and step mother, Mrs. Best Onyenma to Ronald Hospital, Omoba in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.

 

Chiemela Onyema who spoke to ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER from the hospital, said that policemen from the State CID, had come to the hospital to get a statement from he and his wife.

 

He denied the allegation of killing his younger brother who is still in the mortuary with charm (nshi).

 

“when I got to the village hall that day, I met so many people including Chiefs like me with weapons. I asked them why they had weapons they said nothing was wrong that they gathered because of my family case. They said they learnt that I was the one who killed my brother Otuosorochi Onyema. I asked them what  used in killing him- was it knife or gun? They said I killed him with juju (nshi). I told them I didn’t kill anybody, if I killed someone it will be the government that will be judging the case not in the village hall”.

 

The chairman suggested that they make inquiry into what killed him. When they came back, they still insisted that I killed him with charms.”

 

The accused said it was one of his brother Iheoma Onyema who called thugs and the villagers, gave them N600,000 and goat for them to hold him responsible for his brother’s death.

 

Onyema called on the Abia State government and other relevant authorities to come to his aid as he is unfit to foot his hospital bills where they are still fighting for their lives and also restore law and order in Ihieorji village.

 

Efforts made by ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER to get to Mr Monday Dike, Ihieorji village head, proved futile as his phone number was not reachable.

 

SEE VIDEO: