-Flown to Lagos for treatment
Comrade Precious Nwadike on hospital bed in Owerri, before flown to Lagos.
The Publisher of Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper and Senatorial candidate for Orlu zone on the platform of the United Progressive Party UPP, who escaped death by the whiskers, in the hands of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s younger brother, Uche Uzodinma, has been flown to Lagos for medical treatment.
It was gathered that Comrade Nwadike had visited the National Identity Management Centre located along Port-harcourt, road by Ebere Links filling station last Tuesday, to enroll in the ongoing National Identification exercise and was given a form to fill. He was later referred to the Office of the Owerri Captial Development Authority OCDA, located nearby, for data capturing.
Knowing that it was already getting late, he was said to have pleaded with the lady to accompany him to OCDA and perhaps, plead on his behalf. The lady and one other woman who came for the same purpose agreed and accompanied him in his car to the OCDA office.
On getting to the OCDA office, a man hit on the bonnet of his vehicle and told him to reverse. Speaking with Nwadike, “we thought the man was one of the thugs who usually parade OCDA premises. It was when one other person who introduced himself as the contractor handling the Port-Harcourt road project that it dawned on me that they were renovating the road and I obeyed, even when I didn’t know their reason for ordering us back.”
It was later discovered that the said contractor is actually, Governor Uzodinma’s younger brother, Uche Uzodinma”.
An eyewitness who was visibly shocked and angered by the ugly episode said, “ while Comrade Nwadike tried to park his car properly, the same man who ordered him to reverse began to insult and pour invectives on him, described his car as rickety and threatened to deal mercilessly with him if he waited a minute further.”
“When they eventually parked on the other side of the road and attempted to cross over to OCDA, Mr Uzodinma who threatened to deal mercilessly with him, as if he was being propelled by pre-conceived impression and unbridled desire to accomplish a sinister motive launched a vicious attack on him. He also ordered some thugs who were with him to pounce on Nwadike. They beat him to stupor. One of them hit him very hard at the back of the neck and he lost consciousness. People at the scene of the incident who were frightened at the unwarranted level of aggression that could have resulted in tragedy, shouted and raised alarm.”
It was also gathered that it was the timely intervention of some aides of General Manager of OCDA, Engr Ikpamzie who identified Comrade Nwadike as Journalist and former UPP Senatorial candidate for Orlu zone that save the day for him.
A man who simply identified himself as Dr Iwuoha who also witnessed the ugly incident said, “it was the height of wickedness, insensitivity and lack of human feeling that while Nwadike who had been physically, emotionally and psychologically tortured sat back to a regain consciousness, the governor’s brother, Uche Uzodimma who was the arrow head of the show of shame entered his Toyota Hilux vehicle and zoomed off with with stern looking men, without caring about what happens to the innocent victim of their barbaric attack.”
However, Comrade Nwadike, a renowned Journalist, human rights activist, and social crusader was rushed to a hospital in Owerri for first aid but flown to a hospital in Lagos early hours of yesterday where he is said to be responding to treatment.
Dr Iwuoha further said, “the attack on Comrade Nwadike has once again highlighted the inhuman and derogatory and treatment unleashed on the masses by the privileged few who see their relationship with those in the corridors of power as opportunity to intimidate, humiliate and ridicule innocent law abiding citizens without taking cognizance of the fact that power is transient and ephemeral as the only thing that is constant in life in change”.
When contacted, Comrade Nwadike’s wife who spoke calmly confirmed that her husband is responding to treatment.
