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Seeks unconditional release of recovered vehicle from police
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Leading civil rights activist Emeka Umeagbalasi has given a chilling account of how his family was abducted twice within the span of one week by armed men he referred to as “Counterfeit Biafra Agitators.” The criminals were terrorising communities in Aguata, Orumba North, and South Local Government Areas of Anambra State, as well as some bordering areas in Imo State.
The incidents occurred on November 27 and December 5, 2024, while Umeagbalasi and his family were traveling to Arondizuogu in Imo State for the burial of his father-in-law, Maazi Edwin Ohia, and returning from the burial.
Umeagbalasi, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), explained that while en route to the burial, the family vehicle, a Mitsubishi L200 Hilux, driven by his friend and activist, Comrade Chike Umeh, had to take a bush path at Umunze. This was because the soldiers had blocked the main Umunze-Ihite-Ndiokoloji-Arondizuogu-Okigwe road. The diversion forced travelers to take alternative routes, exposing them to attacks by the armed agitators.
According to Umeagbalasi, the soldiers later explained that the diversion was intended to curb the activities of fleeing agitators.
As they took the bush path, Umeagbalasi’s vehicle was stopped by the counterfeit Biafra agitators, who demanded the car key. The driver was nearly shot for hesitating to surrender the key but eventually relented and ran back to the Army checkpoint. The matter was reported to Ajalli Police Station since Umunze Police Station had been destroyed by the agitators.
The agitators eventually abandoned the vehicle, apparently because it had Intersociety’s name inscribed on it, identifying it as a human rights vehicle. The vehicle was recovered later that day, although Umeagbalasi’s in-laws in Arondizuogu were forced to pay a ransom of N250,000 to the counterfeit agitators to allow them to complete the burial ceremony.
However, the vehicle was snatched again a week later on December 5, 2024, at the Amaekwulu Roundabout, Ezinifite, in Aguata Local Government Area, as the family was heading back to Onitsha after the burial. The driver was forcibly removed from the vehicle and made to lie face down as the agitators began shooting indiscriminately.
During the attack, the agitators also seized other private vehicles, especially SUVs, and drove off with the occupants toward the Uga-Amesi-Umuchu axis, continuing their shooting spree while chanting, “Biafra or nothing.” Fortunately, Umeagbalasi’s family members in the vehicle were not harmed and managed to escape via the Umunze-Owerre-Ezukala-Ogboji-Imo State route.
The incident was reported to Ekwulobia Police Station the same day. Umeagbalasi lamented that the non-state actors held the entire Aguata, Orumba North, and South communities under siege for nearly nine hours, from 7:30 am to 4 pm.
The vehicle was eventually abandoned again and was recovered by Anambra Vigilance operatives, who took it to Uga Police Station under the direction of Adeyemi Lateef, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Umunze Police Division.
Umeagbalasi has written to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ntam Inaghe, requesting the unconditional release of the vehicle, which contained several personal items, including two traveling bags, a mattress, a food cooler, lady’s bags, necklaces, jewelry, an infinite smartphone, children’s clothes and footwear, lady’s wear, earrings, ATM cards, identity cards, voter and national identity cards, teacher promotional exam materials, examination papers, ten kegs of palm and raffia wine, over N250,000 cash belonging to his wife, and N150,000 belonging to his sister-in-law, among other valuables.