By Gabriel Chy Alonta
Despite the appeal of the president-general of Isuaniocha calling on all warring factions to sheath their swords so peace and development could return to the community, the aggrieved parties have continued with their war of words.
Orient Daily reports that in the recent weeks, there have been verbal exchanges between a former president-general in Isuaniocha, Comrade Tony Onyeagolum and the Commissioner for Homeland Affairs in Anambra state, Mr. Chikodi Anara, over purported crisis in the area. Feelers suggest that it can only take the intervention of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to end the imbroglio.
However, the former president-general has stepped up the matter by daring the commissioner to take him to court if he feels that the claims he is making are false and mere allegations. Comrade Onyeagolum challenged the commissioner to tell the people what and why the security vehicle donated to Isuaniocha by the previous administration was impounded and still in police custody.
According to him, there is the need for Mr. Anara to give clarification of what happened on the day his men used the vehicle to commit murder in Awka and used same vehicle to convey the corpse before Nigerian Police ceased the Hilux which is still parked in their premises since 2019.
“Mr Chikodi Anara was the SA to the former Governor on Security and a security vehicle was given to communities by the then Governor Obiano through him. Isuaniocha was one of the communities that benefited when Mr. Edward Okoye was the vigilante head.
“The question now is, as a Security Adviser to the then Governor who in his previous interview was heard defending the criminals that have been and still causing chaos in Isuaniocha, let him tell us what led to the arrest and continued detention of the security vehicle donated to Isuaniocha, or is Mr. Anara not aware that Police detained the security vehicle that was given to Isuaniocha by the Governor through him in 2019? Let him explain to us”.
The former PG wondered why the commissioner who had been reacting to allegations of land grabbing in the community had not bothered to respond to the issue of the security vehicle which falls under his scope of duty to ask questions about the activities of local vigilante groups and what they do with the vehicles donated to them by the government. He further demanded response on why the commissioner will be all out to defend a group of people declared wanted by the Nigerian Police, while castigating him (the former PG) whose name is not on the wanted list of any security agency in the country.
“Why is he defending this set of people from Isuaniocha, why is he busy recommending them for security appointments by the governor Chukwuma Soludo administration, who knows what their next plan of action would be?
”Mr. Anarah in his first interview about the crisis going on in Isuaniocha blatantly denied knowing anything that has happened or is happening in Isuaniocha, as he said that he is from Amanuke and possibly could not know what is happening elsewhere. In the subsequent interview, the same Anara suddenly started given testimonies about Isuaniocha, defending Mr. Cosmos Okonkwor and his cohorts, giving testimonies as to who was killed and how he was killed. There is more to it than what we heard from Mr. Anara, let him explain further.
“I want to let Mr. Anara to know that all the phone calls and conversations I had with him on the Isuaniocha school land is still intact, he should come out and tell the people and the governor the truth about the genesis of the crises in Isuaniocha, the entire conversations when he was telling me to compromise on the sale of the land is still in my phone and I can air it at anytime”, he threatened.
He also threatened to make public his conversation with the commissioner for homeland affairs when he was pleading with him to work with Mr. Cosmos Okonkwor so that they can sell the community secondary school land, an offer he rejected in the interest of the entire community. He then challenged the commissioner to sue him for defamation of character if he feels all that has been said against him were mere allegations as he was ready to present the facts when need be.