Attempt To Abduct Chairman, Imo Traditional Council, Raze Palace, Foiled; One Killed

By Charles Igbo

Imo State was saved a huge embarrassment on Monday, January 3, 2022, when an attempt by gunmen to abduct the Chairman of the Imo Traditional Council, His Royal Highness Eze (Dr) E.E. Okeke was foiled by a team of Policemen. His Palace was, also, to be set on fire.

The abductors/ assailants arrived the Eze’s Palace at about 1.00am  But they met a very stiff resistance from the Police, who have been deployed to guard Palaces, supported by Vigilantes.

Eze Okeke is the Traditional Ruler of Amaifeke in the Orlu Local Government Area, the community where former Governor of the State, Chief Achike Udenwa, hails from.

According to a release signed on behalf of the Imo State Police Command by its Spokesman, Michael Abattam, a strategy deployed by the Commissioner of Police to monitor Palaces, in the heat of the abduction of Traditional Rulers in the State, hit the bull’s eye when the rampaging gunmen were confronted by a team of Policemen deployed to the Community.

In the ensuing fierce gun battle, one of the gunmen was killed, while others escaped with various degrees of injuries.

Abattam: “Sequel to the recent attacks on the Palaces of some Traditional Rulers in the State by unknown gunmen,  the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Hussaini, psc, in order to curb this  menace deployed the Command’s Tactical Teams to patrol every community in the State, while closely monitoring the Palaces of Traditional Rulers.

“Today the 3rd of January, 2022, at about 0100hrs, the strategy paid off, as the Command’s Tactical Teams,  working in synergy with Vigilante Group in the area, were able to repel the attack/attempt to set the Palace of Eze Imo, HRH, Eze Dr E.E. Okeke on fire by men suspected to be men of the proscribed IPOB/ESN group at Ezioha Amaifeke in Orlu LGA of Owerri, Imo State.

“The hoodlums, in their numbers, besieged the Palace of the Traditional Ruler armed with assorted weapons but were subdued by the superior firepower of the Command’s Tactical Teams, and in the process, one of the hoodlums was neutralized, while others fled into the bush with bullet injuries.

“On searching the body of the neutralized bandit, several charms were seen tied round his waist.

“Other items also recovered include:

*One ID Card

* One locally made IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE

*Five bottles containing fuel

*Cash of #20,000.00 (twenty thousand Naira), only

*One Pump Action Gun with four live cartridges.”

Imo Traditional Rulers and their Palaces have been the targets of gunmen. In the past two months, five of them have been kidnapped. Out of the five, two were killed by their abductors.

Just before the abductions, two Traditional Rulers were shot dead when gunmen stormed the venue of their meeting at the Headquarters of the Njaba Local Government Area.

The attempt to abduct Eze Okeke and set his Palace on fire came on the eve of Governor Uzodinma’s resolve to name and shame those he, alleges,  were implicated in the sponsoring of insecurity in the State.