By Martin Opara
An Owerri based lawyer and Legal Adviser to Umuihugba Umuodu autonomous community, Barr G.O.C Ihebom has passionately appealed to the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to as a matter of urgency curtail the irritating excesses of his overzealous Special Adviser on (Security), retired Commissioner of Police, Dan Okoro who has formed the habit of harassing, intimidating and instigating the unlawful arrest, and detention of law abiding and duly elected members of the Surv Sir Ferdinand Anoruo led executive of Umuihigba Umuodu autonomous community in Owerri Municipal Council on trumped up charges despite a subsisting order of a High Court.
The legal luminary and Principal Partner of G.O.C. Ihebom and Company stated this in his second Save Our Soul message to the Governor, dated 30th October 2021.
In the message captioned; “An SOS on the Curious Revival of Arrests and detentions of duly elected Town Union Executive of the Umuihugbaumuodu Autonomous Community In Owerri Municipal Council, under the able Leadership of Sir Surv. F.E. Anoruo, KSJI, Sundry other Elders of the Community and the Community Legal Adviser, this time by Officers of Scid‑D5 Section, Imo State Police Command Headquarters, Owerri, at the Behest of your S.A. on Security, Mr. Dan Okoro, Cp. Rtd. (Based on Duplicated Allegations without respecting pending Fundamental Human Rights Enforcement Applications cum already secured interim restraining Orders of the High Court Of Imo State).
Barr Ihebom drew the governor’s attention to the boastful disposition of his Special Adviser, Dan Okoro who uses the instrumentality of his office to instigate various sections of the Nigeria Police Force including the Anti Kidnapping Unit and the SCID-D5 section of the Imo State Police Command to arrest, detain and dehumanize the duly elected Town Union Executive of Umuihigba Umuodu autonomous community, the President General, Sir Ferdinand Anoruo KSJI, MNIS Licensed Surveyor, the Secretary General
(Obinga Francis Igwe) and himself, Barr G.O.C Ihebom PhD, including some Village Heads and respected Elders who are vocal and courageous enough to stand on the side of truth.
One of the village chiefs who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity revealed that Dan Okoro who allegedly absconded from his ancestral home in Umuguma to settle in Owerri Municipal Council as a result of persistent clashes with his kinsmen is bent on ensuring that one of his stooges, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, who recently went to Abuja to participate in the National Convention of the party succeeds the late traditional ruler of Umuihugba Umuodu autonomous community contrary to laid down rules, procedure, guidelines and constitution of the community.
It was also gathered that the man who Dan Okoro prefers for the Ezeship stool of Umuihugba Umuodu autonomous community once took the Imo state government to court for his removal as the immediate past Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission hence they collectively see the President General, Sir Ferdinand Anoruo, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in Owerri Municipal Council and members of his executive who are all APC faithful and ardent supporters of the Governor Hope Uzodinma- led 3R administration as impediments and clogs in their party’s wheel of progress in the community and the entire Owerri Municipal Council.
Some of the villagers who spoke to our reporter said,“We are all grateful to Governor Uzodinma for his goodwill towards Owerri people, especially for the reconstruction of Eke Ukwu Owerri but the actions, conduct and attitude of Dan Okoro who keeps boasting that he is untouchable is a very negative factor, hence we call on the Governor to beam his search light on his activities and call him to order because he is throwing mind at his government and rubbishing his government’s image.”
Effort to reach Hon Okoro for his reaction on the issue proved abortive as he didn’t take his call or return same.
