By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The people of Oraifite community in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State have accused the lawyer to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Ifeanyi Ejiofor of aiding and fuelling insecurity in the community.
The Traditional Ruler of Oraifite, Dr. Daniel Udorji and the President-General, Sir Vin Dike made these allegations during a press conference they jointly addressed in the presence of other members of the community at the Oraifite Civic Centre on Monday.
The development followed the recent kidnapping and alleged killing of a 38-year-old youth leader in the community.
Journalists from different media platforms who were at the press conference were also informed of an ongoing rift between Ejiofor and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Chief Sir Emeka Ofor. Both Ofor and Ejiofor are members of the Oraifite community.
Both the community’s monarch and the President General, also alleged that the IPOB lawyer used a masquerade organization called ‘Otueke’ to kidnap, harass and intimidate members of the community, including Sir Emeka Ofor, whom they described as the “messiah” to the community.
As a result of this, they said the kinsmen have placed a ban on the ‘Otueke’ festival with immediate effect, citing insecurity as the main reason.
The President-General, Chief Vincent Dike said, “This press conference is called to let the world know the activities of Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor towards his ancestral people and the man who made him who he is today in society.
“Ejiofor is one of the major beneficiaries of Sir Emeka Ofor’s humanitarian gesture in Oraifite town. He was trained by Sir Emeka Ofor from Secondary to University education. But today, his benefactor has become his greatest enemy in this world. He has also extended his hatred to the entire community that trained and protect him.
“He uses ‘Otueke’, an organization filled with all manners of youths, mostly from his Umunakwa kindred to unleash terror on us.
About 95 percent of kidnapping, killings and other criminal activities in our community today, has been sponsored by Ejiofor with support from his Umunakwa kindred. Because of this, he has not been holding meetings with us for the past 15 years.
“Otueke is an organization that was set up by our forefathers to unite the people, to discuss important and vital issues of the town. It has multiple arms, there is an arm that is used for enforcement called ‘Otuebe’.
“Otuebe is an arm that was used by our forefathers to enforce order and obedience or collections within the community, the reason why we are placing a ban on it is because some disgruntled elements are now using it to fuel insecurity and all other atrocious activities coming with this ‘Otueke’ because it’s almost like a masquerade.
“Some native sons of the community have also hijacked ‘Otueke’ and it has become their personal property. They even registered it in a Corporate Affairs Commission and are using it for reasons that it was originally not meant for.”
The PG, however, called on the state government, the Police and other security agencies to intervene on the matter.
The traditional ruler, Igwe Daniel Udoji, on his part, appealed to the people of the community to rise up and defend the community.
Udoji said, “I am the Igwe of the town, I am the father of the town, every Oraifite person, male or female, citizens of Oraifite are my children, I take delight in supporting mostly those who have positive values, who pursue the peace, love, unity and progress of Oraifite. Oraifite has been very peaceful, full of good news and progress, but of late, we have been bombarded with insecurity as a result of disgruntled elements thereby giving the community bad and negative publicity.
“Oraifite is blessed with a son like Emeka Offor, he has done so much for us, Nigeria and in fact the whole world. You can remember the polio incident, he donated so much money to control polio not only in Nigeria, but across the world”, he said.
The Igwe said that Sir Emeka Offor has created jobs, empowered the youths, taken care of widows, constructed roads, built factories, created employment for the youths both in Oraifite, Nigeria and the world.
“It’s very painful that Oraifite people don’t seem to appreciate what God has given to them, a son like Sir Emeka Offor, my Igwe friends during our monthly meetings in Awka have said that they will offer him nationality, if Oraifite people cannot protect him.
“It’s too bad, let us unite and appreciate Emeka Offor, he has done so much for us, not only appreciate him, defend him when he is under attack, there are many bad people who don’t appreciate good things.
“It’s regrettable that we don’t come out to defend him on social media, when he’s under attack; it shouldn’t be only when we need him that we should go to him. We should come out and defend him, humanly speaking, we can’t reward Sir Emeka Offor for all he has done for us”, he noted.
Reacting via phone call, Ejiofor told our reporter that throughout his lifetime ,he had never supported, encouraged or sponsored crime.
He urged the public to disregard the allegation leveled against him as they are unfounded and mischievous. According to him, as a lawyer of many years standing, it is not possible for him to support or encourage criminal acts.
He said that the only crime he committed was asking the PG and the community about a young man called Ebuka Wigwe, whom Anambra Vigilante groups abducted and kept without informing the family of his where about and reason he was abducted.
“When I was called and told about the young man’s abduction, I petitioned the Inspector General of Police and subsequently, he was released by the Court.
“I am not against the arrest of any person that committed crime but his whereabout must be communicated to his family. The reason for his arrest must be made known.Why must they keep his abduction secret?”, he queried .
He said that all that is happening in Oraifite are caused by Emeka Offor who use the traditional institution and PG to cover up.
He said Emeka Offor uses the members of the town union to achieve whatever he wants in the town. According to him, he has no problem with the community, regretting that they claimed that Emeka Offor trained him in the University.
Ejiofor said that Emeka Offor is after him because he is owning him N2.8 billion.
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