Businessman nabbed for alleged takeover of late brother’s property

Hoodlums have allegedly burnt a police post and some vehicles during a land dispute in Ukpo, in the Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The dispute was said to be between the people of Ukpo and Abba communities.

This was contained in a petition to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra State, by the Ukpo community’s lawyer, C.C Uzomba.

The petition was made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

While accusing certain leaders in Abba of sponsoring the vandals, the lawyer asked the police to arrest and bring perpetrators to justice.

Uzomba said, “On October 14, 2020, mercenaries armed with weapons invaded Ukpo Junction, vandalised and looted shops, demolished a police post, destroyed some properties of Ukpo community and in the process burnt a Golf car and three motorcycles and robbed unsuspecting victims of their valuables. They also assaulted many Ukpo indigenes found at the junction.”

Uzomba said the Supreme Court had ruled against the Abba community on the land, but the indigenes prevented Ukpo from reaping the fruit of the judgment.

“Also, on October 24, 2020, around 2am, some notorious Abba youths and their hired war mercenaries, while heavily armed with guns, dynamites, fuel, gas, tyre, and other weapons, attempted to kill security men on guard and have ever since been drumming for inter-communal war between their community, Abba, Ukwulu and Ukpo communities.

“It is based on these that the community is asking the police to act now to avert the looming communal crisis, breakdown of law and order, further attacks and armed robbery of innocent people,” the petition added.

The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 13, Nkeiruka Nwode, said she was not aware of the incident and promised to get back to our correspondent.

She had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report. The police have arrested a businessman, Tochukwu Kama, for his alleged involvement in the abduction of his brother, James, and appropriation of his property after his demise.

Tochukwu was arrested in Abuja on Sunday and remanded in custody while his sister, Princess, was directed to report at the force headquarters on Monday (today).

The Investigating Police Officer, ASP Patrick Obeta, confirmed that Tochukwu and his sister would be interrogated on the allegations levelled against them by the widow of their late brother, Mrs Olubunmi Kama.

“Tochukwu was arrested this morning (Sunday) and remanded in custody. His sister Princess has been directed to report at our office tomorrow (Monday),” the IPO said.

The widow had in a petition dated September 17 asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to investigate the “nefarious activities of Princess Kama and Tochukwu Kama culminating in the abduction, denial of adequate care and exposure to palpable trauma leading to the death of James Kama, thereby exposing his family to untold hardship.”

The petition, dated September 17, 2020, copied to the Commissioner of Police, Homicide Department, Abuja, was titled, ‘Abduction, false imprisonment, murder, conversion and threat to life perpetrated against the late Mr James Kama and his nuclear family by Princess Kama and Mr Tochukwu Kama.’

Olubunmi, through her lawyer, John-bede Ofoha, said Tochukwu and Princess forcefully took away James to an unknown location and then carted away his property after his demise, rendering his family destitute.

The Ondo State indigene, who was married to James, a civil engineer, from Ebonyi State at an Abuja marriage registry on July 16, 2004, explained that she was prevented from attending the burial of her husband in Ikon, Afikpo South, Ebonyi, in August 2018, adding that Tochukwu and Princess threatened to harm her.

Olubunmi noted that the family members did not acknowledge James’ nuclear family at his funeral, adding that her name and that of her children were missing in the programme of events.

Disclosing what led to her husband’s death, the mother of five said James had a chronic ulcer but became addicted to pain killers for 13 years.

She said James was taken to an unknown hospital on May 13, 2018, but his immediate family were not allowed to see him or know his whereabouts until his demise on August 6.

“I was also not allowed to see his remains in the mortuary. I had to beg the attendants who said they were under strict instructions not to allow me to see the body. Shortly after his death, my husband’s siblings came to our house in Gwarimpa and took away his personal effects, including his vehicles, leaving us with nothing,” she added.