The leadership of Ogidi Community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State has accused one Gozie Obide as responsible for fueling the crisis that led to the death of a youth leader, Chike Okoye in the area.
Last week, Ogidi Community was thrown into mourning over the death of the late Okoye and allegations that the traditional ruler of the town masterminded it.
Some youths in the community had gone to Iyienu General Hospital where the said Okoye died on Friday, carried the corpse in a tipper and proceeded to the palace of the traditional ruler of Ogidi, Igwe Alex Onyido.
At the gate, as shown by a viral video, the tipper had dropped the corpse in an unbecoming manner.
According to one of the youths, the traditional ruler, Igwe Alex Onyido, in conspiracy with the community vigilante and the Police killed the man, by throwing him off a one storey building.
“The king has ruled the town with an iron fist and will aways suppress anyone that tries to challenge the evil he is committing. That’s why they have killed Chike,” he lamented.
But in a briefing today after a meeting with key stakeholders in the Community, the President General of the Town, Chuka Onubogu, who described the incident as unfortunate, explained that the deceased reportedly died, attempting to evade arrest of police officers who stormed his Urueze Alor village, over the alleged land tussle between some members of the village and the Traditional Ruler, Igwe Oyido.
“It is an internal problem between the Igwe and the youths who are all from the same kindred. Sometime last year, a pharmaceutical company, Alben Pharmaceuticals, owned by our traditional ruler, had constructed a culvert to create access to parts of Uruezealor. Some youths, led by the Chairman of Uruezealor village, Gozie Obide, alleged that the King was trying to take over some lands and proceeded to destroy the work.
“As a result, the Monarch had reported to the Police who later this year arrested the said Gozie when he came home to bury his mother. The next day when he was to be released, the said Gozie and the late Chike, had instigated youths to come to the Police station to release him. Our Igwe was contacted and to avoid any form of trouble, he okayed the release. But immediately after his release, Obide and the youths moved about in a triumphant manner round the community, chanting demeaning songs against the Igwe and the Ogidi throne in a manner that can cause disruption of public peace.
“Igwe Onyido as the security officer of the community had no option than to alert the Police and when they commenced arrests on Thursday last week. When they came to pick the late Chike, he jumped from his building over a fence in his backyard as I was told. Because he was asthmatic, he developed breathing difficulty and was rushed to Iyienu hospital where he died on Friday morning,” he narrated.
The Ogidi PG said he had tried without success to persuade the said Gozie and his accomplices from taking the corpse to the traditional ruler’s house, noting that the Union should have been duly communicated in the event of any problems instead of the youths taking laws into their own hands.
He, therefore, faulted Gozie for instigating the crisis that led to the death of the late Chike, calling on all factions in the crisis to sheathe their swords and make peace.
Meanwhile, when TNC contacted the traditional ruler, Onyido, he also denied involvement in the killing of the man, urging the Police to thoroughly investigate the matter to forestall further crises in the community.
He described the dumping of the corpse at his gates as not only mischievous and sacrilegious but also a slight on the Ogidi traditional stool and the entire Ogidi people.
He, however, said he is not concerned about that for now as his primary concern is for justice to prevail in the matter.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State police command has debunked the story making rounds that the youth leader, Mr Okoye, died after he was pushed from a storey building.
