The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has directed the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Ari Muhammed Ali, to investigate the attempt on the life of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, His Majesty Obi Ifechukwude Aninshi Okonjo II, by suspected cultists and thugs at Otulu Ogwashi-Uku.
Recall that on September 18, 2021, the convoy of Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, who’s the brother of Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was attacked when he visited Otulu Ogwashi-Uku, a farm settlement area in his kingdom to meet the residents and offer prayers for the growth and development of the community.
HRM Okonjo, it will also be recalled, was accompanied on the visit by senior members of the Obi-in-Council, members of the press corps, officers from the office of the Area Commander Ogwashi-Uku, some soldiers from the Asaba Brigade Command, Ogwashi-Uku, vigilantes and about 50 members of the Ogwashi-Uku community.
It was on his way back home with his convoy of about 30 cars that some suspected cultists and thugs barricaded the road with logs and tyres to refuse the monarch access.
The melee that followed the obstruction allegedly led to the killing of one Cletus Opara, the burning of about five cars, an attack on the military officers and members of the Obi’s entourage and an alleged attempt on his life.
In a statement made available to journalists by the monarch’s Palace Secretary, Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, on Sunday in Delta State, the Obi thanked the IGP for directing the Delta CP to investigate the incident.
Emordi confirmed in the statement that the directive was laudable because the attackers of the Obi were apparently well known to the Delta Police Command and the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
He affirmed that the assailants were the same people who attacked a newly-installed Chief Onyema Igbokei 2020 in an attempted murder so they could continue to sell community land illegally in the Edo Ogwashi-Uku and Otulu Ogwashi-Uku areas.
“These same people were charged with attempted murder based on an investigation conducted by the Inspector General’s Monitoring Unit last year.
“The deceased, Mr Opara was one of the people investigated in last year’s attempted murder case and was facing charges in Ogwashi-Uku as a result of the investigation,” he noted.
Prince Emordi stated that the Delta State CP had declared some of the cultists wanted just a few months ago adding that in May 2021 the suspects were allegedly responsible for the death of an Assistant Superintendent of Police who was killed around Otulu.
He, therefore, urged the police to do a thorough investigation and not only identify all the people behind the attempt to assassinate the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, but also their sponsors.
The Palace Secretary also urged members of the Ogwashi-Uku community, who had vowed to respond to the attack on their ruler to remain calm and allow the police to complete their investigation.
While addressing thousands of youth and members of the Ogwashi-Uku community, who came to pay the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku a solidarity visit during the commencement of the annual Inne Festival, Prince Emordi confirmed that a full report on the incident had been submitted to the Delta State government and also the relevant security agencies.
He urged community members not to take the law into their hands, but to assist the police in their investigations so that the Otulu Ogwashi-Uku issue could be dealt with comprehensively.
He restated the commitment by the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku not to permit Otulu Ogwashi-Uku to become a den and hideout of criminals who funded their activities by illegally selling Ogwashi-Uku communal lands.
The palace secretary also disclosed that the land speculator, who had been showing interest in Otulu land, had been identified and urged the speculator to cease doling money to the criminals who attacked the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku.
The palace secretary thereafter reminded buyers of lands in the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom that all lands in Ogwashi-Uku were vested on the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku who is the overlord, trustee and custodian of all Ogwashi-Uku communal lands.