40 Days in Police Custody: Mbaise People in Severe Shock Over Continued Detention of Eze Leo Nwokocha<br> …-Appeal for Gov. Uzodinma’s Intervention

After more than forty days in Police custody, the people of Mbaise in Imo state have expressed shock that despite their serial plea to appropriate authorities for the release of Eze Leo Nwokocha, the police have continued to detain the Royal Father.

The fresh worries were expressed separately by men, women and youth groups who called on the Executive governor of the state, Senator Hope Uzodinma to hearken to their appeal for the release of the Traditional ruler.

It can be recalled that Mbaise women had asked Governor Hope Uzodinma to use his veto power as the number one citizen of Imo state to effect the release of Eze Leo Nwokocha as a special gift to the people of the area.

They made the call when they turned out in their numbers last month in a peaceful protest to demand the release of the traditional ruler who has been in the police custody since 28th of December last year.

Eze Nwokocha’s arrest came after one of his subjects, known as Chinwedu Nwagwu popularly called Onye Army, suspected to be a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, was arrested by the police.

In a viral video, he accused Eze Nwokocha of being one of their sponsors who gave them #120,000.

Since the arrest and detention of the Royal father, according to the women, the people of Umunneato community comprising Egberede, Eziala and Okwu Nguru, have been in pain, and anger; adding that the allegation was not true.

A cross-section of the women who spoke to newsmen at the Eke Nguru market said the enemies of the community are now at work and that they wanted to destroy the community and the traditional ruler.

Mrs Gertrude Nwaegbu, said: “They carried our Traditional Ruler and detained him for doing nothing. We are not happy. Our Eze is a good person. Our governor should help us. Our beloved governor should help us. The allegations are not true, our Eze is not involved in any sponsorship of attack in the state. Our enemies want to destroy us. We are calling on God. This is not good.”

Also speaking, Mrs Florence Opara, said: “We are not happy our eze is not with us. We are begging our governor to come to our help. Our Eze is not problematic. He helps the widows. He helps the needy in our community. Everybody is crying. We are suffering. We are tired. We need the governor to help us. Bad people want to destroy our Traditional Ruler. We are protesting so that the world will know the truth.”

Adding her voice, Mrs Christaina Ogbonna, said: “We plead to our good governor to help us since 28th of December. We want the governor to prevail on the police to release our traditional ruler. The truth is that he is not involved in anything that they are accusing him of. Please, our governor should intervene and free our Eze. The entire community is not happy.”

The Mbaise women who acknowledged the efforts of the governor in developing Mbaise especially in road construction and appointment of Mbaise sons and daughters, asked as a more special gift; the release of Eze Nwokocha from the police custody.

On their part, the Eze in Council Umunneato Nguru Autonomous community in Aboh LGA called for the release of their Traditional Ruler.
Chairman of the council, Nze Cletus Okeagu made their feelings known in an interview with our correspondent in Owerri, Imo state where they described Eze Nwokocha as a peace-loving king who should not be subjected to dehumanization.

Meanwhile, an elite group, Mbaise Youth for Development has expressed worry over the continued detention of the Traditional Ruler, Eze Leo Nwokocha by the Police.

The National president of the group Emmanuel Anyanwu, maintained that Eze Leo Nwokocha as a respected traditional ruler in Mbaise and beyond and should be released as a sign of regard for his numerous subjects who are begging for his freedom.