Tension heightens in Oruku as court grants bail to prime suspect, others

The hope of ending the lingering Igweship crisis in Oruku Community in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State seems afar as the tussle has taken a new dimension following the granting of bail to one Moses Nnamani by Justice Cyprian Aja of the State High Court.

It was learnt that the granting of Nnamani bail who is the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of the community’s traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Chidiebere Mba has further heightened tension in the troubled community.

Speaking to journalists in Enugu on Saturday, Mr Ejike Mbah, brother of the late royal father, said there is also fear that the Police Inspector, Dennis Daniel of the Inspector General of Police Special Tactical Squad (IGP-STS) who allegedly pulled the trigger terminating the life of the traditional ruler might be granted bail by the same State High Court on Monday, June 24, 2024 fixed for hearing.

Mbah further raised concerns that there was a ground plans to free the killers of his brother and destroy the case, wondering how a murder suspects in high profile case of this magnitude would be granted bail without the opposition of the state government that is prosecuting the case.

“Probably, after the court release them they will be back and sack the entire community. Don’t you think that they will stop at nothing to ensure that all the witnesses were silenced?”, he added.

The younger brother to the late Igwe further wondered how Nnamani, a 57-year-old land commission agent, who allegedly hired policemen to kill the monarch should be granted bail when he (Nnamani) escaped police arrest and ran to Ghana from December 26, 2020 to August 2023.

According to him, “Nnamani was arrested in Abuja by security operatives from CID Force Headquarters. He and Inspector Daniel Dennis, 47, were arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy.

“He had fled to Ghana, and police intelligence officers were able to arrest him last August after he was lured to Nigeria with the bait of a lucrative land deal in Abuja.

“However, Justice Romanus Odugu recused himself from the case.

“But after several back and forth, the duo of Nnamani and dismissed Inspector Daniel Dennis were arraigned on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 in Charge No E/125/24 before Justice Aja on two count- charge of conspiracy and murder.

The charge sheet reads: “Count one – statement of offence:

“CONSPIRACY contrary to Section 494 of the criminal Code law of Enugu State cap 30 Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.

“Particulars Of Offence: MOSES NNAMANI, DANIEL DENNIS on or about the 26 day of December, 2020 at Oruku Community with the jurisdiction of this court conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit: Murder of HRH IGWE EMMANUEL CHIDIEBERE MBAH the Traditional Ruler of Oruku Community.

“Count II: Statement Of Offence – MURDER, Contrary to Section 274(1) of the Criminal Code Law Cap 30 Vol. II. Revised laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

“Particulars Of Offence: MOSES NNAMANI, DANIEL DENNIS on or about 20 day of December, 2020 at Oruku Community within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable murdered 14.09 IGWE EMMANUEL CHIDIEBERE MBAH the Traditional Ruler of Orok Community by shooting him with a gun.”

However, despite the grave offence, Justice Aja granted Moses Nnamani bail with two sureties.

He is also going to hear and determine the bail application of dismissed Inspector Daniel Dennis on Monday.

In granting Nnamani bail, Justice Aja said the sureties must be one Permanent Secretary and one traditional ruler who must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. The value of the property he said must not be less than N20 million.

Justice Aja explained that “granting bail to accused doesn’t mean that he cannot be convicted if he is found guilty after trial.”

Recall that despite the gravity of the charges against the accused persons in the murder of the traditional ruler, the court had earlier granted two other suspects – Onyema Ede and Chikadibia Okenwa bails.

After their release on bail, the duo allegedly carried arson attacks on the houses of two brothers from the community, Ejike and Agozie Ani, who are opposed to the murder suspects.

The houses were burnt to the ground on 26th December, 2022, exactly two years after Igwe Mba was murdered.

The arsonists also burnt down the palace of the late Igwe and 10 other houses the same day.

It would be recalled that Igwe Mba was attending the Oruku Annual General Meeting (AGM) at its town hall when a team of police officers from the Special Tactical Squad of the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Investigation Bureau, stormed the venue. They brought brought the monarch out, and shot him before the people attending the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The killing drew national outrage, making the state government set up a seven-person judicial commission on 8th January 2021. Headed by Mr. Justice Harold Eya, it was mandated to inquire into the circumstances of the murder.

In its nine-page report submitted in April 2021, the panel chair, Justice Eya stated categorically that Inspector Daniel killed Igwe Mba, with Nnamani’s connivance due to the differences between him and Mba in Oruku affairs.

The police team that killed the traditional ruler was brought to the town in a blue colour Honda Element sport utility vehicle belonging to Nnamani, the report of the commission stated.

The commission members’ position is consistent with the investigative report of the DIG, Force Intelligence Bureau, which noted on 22nd May 2021 that Nnamani wrote a false and malicious petition on 1st June 2020 against the traditional ruler alleging armed robbery, illegal possession of sophisticated arms and murder.

The DIG consequently set up a team of STS men to investigate the allegation which entailed, among other things, visiting the Oruku community.

“Throughout the journey up to the point of killing the Igwe”, wrote the then late DIG Joseph Egbunike.

The report noted, “Inspector Dennis had been in communication with Chief Nnamani, and also received the sum of fifty thousand naira (N50,000) from the Chief. The other operatives on the trip also confirmed the communication between them.”

It was on the strength of the report that the police authority dismissed Dennis from service.

“It will be perilous to release any of these grave security risks,” observed a senior officer in the Enugu Police Command who does not want his name in the media because he is not authorised to speak to the press on the issue.

“Thirteen other persons had been killed in the small Oruku community since Igwe Mba’s gruesome murder.

“There are hardly houses standing in the community as fighters and arsonists have overrun the place, says another senior police officer.

“That’s why it will be exceedingly reckless to allow these fellows to walk out of the correctional centre,” the police officer said.

Prior to the Igweship crisis, Oruku community was engulfed in a communal conflict with its neighbour, Umuode, for over three decades.

The communal conflict escalated on December 26, 2020, when the paramount ruler was murdered in cold blood during the community’s annual general meeting.

The late Permanent Secretary, Raymond Okenwa was a protagonist in the crisis and was said to have promised Nnamani (prime suspect) Igweship as a reward which many believe was a deceit.

It was learnt that there was relative peace in Oruku land since the demise of Chief Okenwa until the granting of bail to his acolyte, Nnamani and other suspects by the court.

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