– Tell Eze Okeke To Caution Private Militia Protecting His House
Residents of Orlu and environ have lamented over what they described as the increasing and disturbing level of extortion, harassment and intimidation they have been subjected to by the operatives of Ebubeagu vigilante deployed to safeguard the residence of the traditional ruler of Amaifeke autonomous community in Orlu Local Government Area, His Royal Highness Eze Emmanuel Okeke and that of the Sole Administrator of Orlu Local Government Area, Pastor Chris Mbaeri.
Some of those who spoke to our correspondent narrated how the overzealous Ebubeagu operatives often abandon their duty posts to forcefully extort money from innocent motorists and passersby, while those who refuse to comply are either threatened with spurious allegations or made to face unpleasant circumstance in the guise of having committed non-existent offences.
“Most times, they will ask their victims to give them money and if they for any reason fail to do their bidding, they will tag them a members of ESN and threaten to detain them”.
A victim who narrated his ordeal to our correspondent, said the Ebubeagu vigilante operatives stopped him in front of Orlu Local Government Council and forced him out of his vehicle. They took his vehicle on the ground that they wanted to use it for an operation and told him to come for it the next day. When he went back the next day, they insisted that he must give them fifty thousand naira before they would release the vehicle to him. When he told them that he didn’t have that kind of money to give them, they threatened to confiscate the car on the false allegation that it was used for robbery operation”.
He expressed dismay that such a thing was happening at a time that most people believed that the menace of hoodlums in Orlu had gone.
Continuing, he said, “there have been persistent tales of woe by residents of Orlu who are tearfully calling on the Chairman, Imo State Traditional Institution and the Monarch and Chief Security Officer of the area to, as a matter of urgency caution the perpetrators whose identities are not hidden or ask them to leave the area because their duty is illegal”.
He also called on the Sole Administrator of Orlu LGA, Mbaeri, to stop empowering the Ebubeagu operatives or alternatively allow them to be harassing Orlu resident.
Effort to reach the SOLAD, Pastor Mbaeri proved abortive as he didn’t respond to calls put to his phone.
