Eze Ohiri’s Kidnap: How Family’s Suspicion Of Alleged Complicity  Triggered Arrest Of Brother

By Gideon Njoku

Unless the family of the immediate past Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze Samuel Agunwa Ohiri quickly gets its act together, big trouble is afoot.

This is because of the arrest, on alleged suspicion of complicity in the Eze’s kidnapping, of his younger brother, Solomon Ohiri.

Recall that Ohiri, the Traditional Ruler of Orodo in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area was kidnapped from his Palace on January 6,, 2024. He spent the whole of about two weeks before he was finally released by his abductors on January 17, 2024.

Ohiri was with his United States of America-based brother, Solomon, who came back to spend his Christmas and New Year holidays with family when he was abducted by the hoodlums.

According to reports, both men went out in the morning and as they came back and drove into the Palace, they were suddenly accosted by the hoodlums. But, as the hoodlums dragged them into their operational vehicle, Solomon took a suicidal risk , ran for his life, and escaped.

The circumstances under which he escaped remain shady, but some people said he told the hoodlums he was just the Eze’s driver and ran.

However, his suicidal escape did not quite go down well with a couple of family members who felt something was not quite right.

According to an impeccable  source, they reported Solomon to the anti-kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command, and Solomon was quickly arrested for alleged, possible, complicity in his brother’s abduction.

Locked up for days for investigation, allegedly, in the same cell with confirmed kidnappers, it was a depressed, outraged and scared Solomon, who reached out to a number of his friends to brief them on his ordeal. He cried out for help. He pleaded his innocence, and wondered how anybody could suspect him of such an atrocious deed. “How could I have organized the kidnap of my own brother?”, he was reported as repeatedly asking nobody in particular.

At his base in the US, his friends are outraged. His wife and children are in a trance. One of his friends told this magazine: “Even if Solomon claimed to be Samuel’s driver, he is not far from the truth. Each time Samuel visits the US, Solomon was his regular driver. He would drop everything he was doing and be at the service of his brother-Traditional Ruler.”

He also said that the Eze would be angry with the members of his family who triggered the arrest of Solomon by the Police.

However, a couple of people  argued that Solomon’s arrest normal for the Police was Norma to enable the Police ask him questions since he was present at the crime scene and witnessed his brother’s abduction.

Meanwhile, Eze Ohiri has been rescued from his abductors by the Police according to a Police report.

The Eze who broke down and dissolved into tears was given a rousing welcome by his subjects.

A reliable source also told this medium that Solomon has been released from Police custody. It is, however, not known if he was released on bail, or if he is free to go back to his base. What is clear though is: for the Ohiris, His Royal Highness would need to do a lot of work to restore trust and bring the family together.