A Vice Chairman of Obunagu Achalla village in Enugu Agidi community, Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State, Ozo Ozoemena Okeke, has alleged threats to his life, claiming some of his kinsmen plotted to kill him after he refused to sell community lands.
Speaking to journalists at his residence on Sunday, Okeke revealed that he had been kidnapped twice, once in 2023 and again in 2024, narrowly escaping death after paying ransoms to his abductors.
Okeke accused four members of his community of conspiring with suspected kidnappers to eliminate him for opposing their alleged illicit land sales.
“My first experience was on October 17, 2023,” he recounted. “It was during the initial grading of the road in front of my house. They claimed I had sold the land, which I did not. Thinking I had sold it, they invited kidnappers to abduct me, believing I had money from the supposed sale.”
He continued, “The kidnappers, however, found no money, not even in my bank account, which had only N22.00. They even took my foodstuff—garri, palm oil, salt, and others—before realizing the claim was false. They eventually freed me.”
Okeke described his second ordeal in August 2024, following a community peace meeting.
“Around 4 pm, kidnappers invaded my house again, took me to a bush in Urum, Awka North, and later to a shrine in Ukwulu. I was held for three days before being released,” he said.
However, Emeka Ementa, the Chairman of Obunagu-Achalla in Enugu Agidi, denied any connection to the kidnappings or the alleged plot.
In response, he stated, “I have no contact with any kidnap syndicate. Okeke’s claims are baseless. The community decided to suspend him for aligning with the Ezinano Awka community on a controversial peace deal over disputed land.”
Ementa further alleged that Okeke’s behavior had long been a concern for the community.
“This is not personal. The suspension was a collective decision taken at a general meeting. The kidnapping claims sound like a forgery to me, a mere drama,” he asserted.
On the contentious land dispute, Ementa explained, “The land in question, Agu-Nawgu, was originally inhabited by the Nawgu people. After their removal, it was shared among six communities: Awka, Isu, Enugu Agidi, Nawfia, Amawbia, and Okpuno. Awka is now contesting part of this land, including our ancestral land, despite court rulings in our favor at three levels: the Awka court, High Court, and Appeal Court.”
Ementa called on the state government to intervene, stating, “Enugu Agidi has endured so much over this issue, and we need the government’s help to bring lasting resolution.”
