By Our Reporter
Abuja (Precise Post) – Crises is currently brewing in Igga community in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu State following the death in detention of Hon. Ikechukwu Fabian Eneanya who has been held in prison custody without trial since September 2020 on the orders of the Enugu State government and disputed traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Hebert Ukuta.
The late Eneanya who was a former councilor representing Igga/Asaba Ward of Uzo-Uwani Council area was arrested on July 2020 on the allegation of threatening the traditional ruler and promoting war in the community and was refused bail until he died in the early hours of Sunday 9th May, 2021.
According to EPARLIAMENT, the late Hon. Eneanya after his arrest was later charged to court for “promoting war among three communities” in the area. The communities include, Ojjor, Ogurugu, and Igga.
According to a family source who spoke to the EPARLIAMENT, since late Eneanya was arrested in July 2020 alongside another member of the community, Vincent Okonkwo, a lawyer, all efforts to secure their bail after they were “illegally” remanded in prison were rebuffed, this is despite the fact that late Eneanya had a proven terminal illness which was properly communicated to the court.
The family source revealed that late Eneanya was a lung cancer patient whose condition was worsened by his detention. He stated that “Ikechukwu Eneanya presented evidence of his health conditions, but was denied bail. The condition got worse in detention and at late hours, he was taken to UNTH Enugu for medical attention where he stayed about a week, and early hours of today Sunday May 9, 2021, he gave up.”
Speaking to the EPARLIAMENT on the condition of anonymity, an elder of the Igga community said that the fact that Barr. Vincent Okonkwo was still in detention despite the death of Eneanya was already inflaming tension in the community. The duo of late Eneanya and Vincent Okonkwo were held at the Enugu and Nsukka Correctional Centres respectively.
Speaking to the media on the travails of Okonkwo, his lawyer, E.B Ochuma of Stratagem LP, said that Enugu state government in collusion with the Igwe Herbert Ukuta have combined forces to perpetually keep his client in detention.
Narrating the ordeal of Okonkwo in the hands of his tormentors, Ochuma said that “He was arrested on false and convoluted assertions of obtaining under false pretenses. The fact of the matter is a lot more straightforward. Okonkwo, an intellectual and a lawyer-cum-pharmacist by training, had been very involved in efforts to develop Igga community over the years, and particularly in the period immediately preceding his arrest.
“On several occasions, and through various projects, he, and other elites within the community, in conjunction with the members of the community, has worked to see the betterment of the community.
“These projects however have been continuously hindered by the same actors who have now connived with state authorities to unlawfully detain him, a testament to an existing animosity on their part not only targeted at him, but targeted at the entire community and its elites.
“He was arrested and detained after he and other elites of the community resisted the plans of the “Igwe” to unlawfully sell large portions of communal lands for personal gain. Under the law, under customs and under the constitution of Igga Community, community land is owned communally. It is the same as is obtainable in most parts of Enugu State. The said Igwe however, who had hitherto shown no interest in law or legality, or to customs of Igga Community had been on a spree of illegally selling land belonging to the community.
“On this occasion, however, Okonkwo and the entire community opposed him and successfully transferred said land in the name of the community. The persecution of Okonkwo, which followed, is an attempt by the Igwe to show power, oppress the people of Igga and break the will of those who oppose his illegal enterprises in the community. This time, he and his cohorts have gone about it by employing and abusing the justice machinery.”
Explaining further, the lawyer said narrated how “Okonkwo was detained for weeks, refused bail and deprived of other basic human rights. The claim of obtaining under false pretense was dropped when the matter first came before the magistrate court in Enugu state, as a charge of “prompting local war” was instead preferred against him. The magistrate court declined jurisdiction to hear this charge as it falls within the criminal jurisdiction of the high court and instead remanded Okonkwo despite having the discretion to release him on bail.
“Since then, the matter has been brought before the High Court, where a private lawyer sponsored by the aforementioned Igwe and his supporters/benefactors has done his best to ensure the matter does not enjoy proper prosecution, having suspiciously acquired a fiat from the Attorney General of the State (supposedly) despite the clumsy and baseless nature of the offence Okonkwo has been charged with,” Ochuma said.
According to EPARLIAMENT, findings revealed that the suit against Okonkwo with No/22c/2020 State V. Vincent N. Okonkwo & 1 which currently before Justice Eya of the Nsukka High Court has suffered series of adjournments as Justice Eya has been rather “evasive” each time the matter is scheduled to come up.
While Okonkwo’s lawyer has invoked all relevant constitutional means including a petition to the leadership of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) the weight of the Enugu State government has been very heavy on the matter raising fears that Okonkwo may as well die in prison just like Ikechukwu Eneanya.
