My Husband In Ebubeagu Custody Since March Over Land Dispute

– Orlu Woman Laments, Petitions DSS

A married woman, Mrs Okereke who hails from Ogberuru in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, has been in pain since March, 22 when her husband, Simeon Okereke was whisked away to an unknown destination by operatives of the Imo State owned Ebubeagu Security outfit at the instance of her husband’s relatives, Felix Okereke, Simeon Chionye and Odinaka Okereke who allegedly conspired to eliminate the victim and appropriate his properties.

The woman, Mrs Okereke who has only three female children without a male child while lamenting over her pathetic plight, told this Reporter that her husband’s brother Felix Okereke with the active connivance of the above mentioned accomplices are plotting to take advantage of the fact that ‘’we don’t have a male child to get rid of my husband and myself by all means to enable them appropriate all that belongs to us’’.

According to the information contained in a petition addressed on her behalf to the Director General, Directorate of State Services (DSS), National Headquarters, Abuja by a non-governmental organization, Center For the Prevention of Corruption and Human Rights Abuse Initiative (CPCHRAI). ‘’on March, 22, 2023, I went to work but did not come back home same day.

“The father of one of the suspects, went and lodged a complaint at the Orlu office of the dreaded state owned Ebubeagu Security outfit, that my husband Simeon Okereke had conspired with some unknown persons to kidnap and kill his son, Chinonson Okereke, who in actual fact is still alive.

“The essence of the false allegation is to perpetually keep my husband Felix Okereke out of circulation and then appropriate our lands and other properties. We have been reliably informed that my husband’s brother, Felix has been taking prospective buyer’s to my husband’s land which he has vowed to sell’’.

She further stated that, based on the false and mischievous allegation, operatives of the Ebubeagu militia, came to their house and destroyed virtually all their properties and whisked her husband, Simeon away to an unknown destination.

‘’They also attempted to assassinate me but I was lucky to escape. Since then we have neither seen nor heard from my husband, while I have also been in hiding with my three female children’’.

‘’To our dismay and that of others who are not happy about the wicked plot against us, the same Odinaka who was said to have been kidnapped and killed by my husband and for whose sake he was whisked away, came back home on March, 29, 2023, seven days after they took my husband away’’.

He was seen by people rejoicing and jubilating that they have succeeded in putting my husband out of circulation. The irony of it all is that Odinaka who was said to have been kidnapped and killed by my husband and for whose sake my husband has been detained by Ebubeagu militia since March, 22 has been in his father’s house since he came back. He has also been walking about freely, while my husband’s whereabout has remained unknown since then’’.

The distraught woman called on the security agencies, the state government and men and women of goodwill to come to her aid.

‘’I have been in hiding with my children since then, while they have taken possession of our Suzuki ladies motorcycle, lands and other properties. We need assistance to enable us go back to our community now that it has been confirmed that Odinaka who was used as a ploy to get at us is not dead as mischievously claimed. They did it to get rid of us and appropriate our properties’’ she lamented.

thTV Admin, Owerri