Crying for Justice - Petition by Ekwedim Autonomous Community to Governor Ikedi Ohakim

EKWEDIM AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY, AMAUZARI, ISIALA MBANO LGA, IMO STATE PETITIONS GOVERNOR IKEDI OHAKIM, CALLING FOR JUSTICE IN THE MURDER OF THEIR SON, MR. AUGUSTINE IGBOKWE BY MR. JASPER NDUBUAKU, GOVERNOR OHAKIM’S SPECIAL ADVISER AND ATTEMPED MURDER ON CHINEDU NWANGUMA BY DR. AZUBUIKE NDUBUAKU, MR. JASPER NDUBUAKU’S ELDER BROTHER, AND EZE – ELECT OF EKWEDIM AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY.

By a letter dated 21^st April 2010, the President and National Secretary of Ekwedim Autonomous Community and a representative of Igbokwe family petitioned ‘His Excellency, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, the Governor of Imo State’, stating that ‘our people are embarrassed and worried that the Imo State Ministry of Justice is trying to cover up a clear case of murder and attempted murder’ perpetrated by Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s Special Assistant and his elder brother.

In 2007, we had complained to the State Police Command and also to your Excellency, the State Governor on the murder of our son, Mr. Augustine Igbokwe, by your Special Assistant, Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku and his elder brother, Chief (Dr.) Richard Azubuike Ndubuaku.
When we waited for your Excellency’s intervention on this serious matter of murder and there was none, and also the State Police Headquarters, Owerri was not forthcoming in bringing the persons involved to book, we had to petition to the higher Police authorities.
The Force CID, Abuja thoroughly investigated our complaint and found that your Special Assistant, Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku and his brother, Chief (Dr.) Richard Azubuike Ndubuaku were responsible for the said killing.
By a letter dated 26^th May, 2009, the Force CID wrote the State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice forwarding the case file to him for necessary legal opinion.
Based on the stated case file forwarded to the State Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice by the Force CID, the office of the State Director of Public Prosecution was able to write his legal opinion, which is that Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku and his brother, Chief (Dr.) Richard Azubuike Ndubuaku should be charged to Court for Murder and Attempted Murder.
The Ministry of Justice vide a letter dated 12^th February 2010 to the Force CID, Abuja now requested for the original case file for the purpose of their arraignment in Court. This letter is annexed hereto for your perusal.
The Force CID honoured the request of the State Ministry of Justice and vide a letter dated 25^th March 2010 directed that the original case file be sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the prosecution of Jasper Ndubuaku and his brother, Chief (Dr.) Richard Azubuike Ndubuaku. This letter is also annexed hereto for your perusal too.
The letter from the State DPP and that from the Force CID directed that they, Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku and Chief (Dr.) Richard Azubuike Ndubuaku be arrested and detained awaiting their arraignment in Court.
Based on the above directives, on 4^th April, 2010, the State Police Headquarters arrested Jasper Ndubuaku while his brother, Chief (Dr.) Richard Azubuike Ndubuaku was nowhere to be found. We believe he knew of the arrest and disappeared.
By 4.30 pm or thereabout on that same 4^th April 2010, Jasper Ndubuaku was released by the State Police Command. We were astonished as murder is a serious offence and once detained, bail is not easy. We still wonder why it was so easy and simple in his case.
We were asked by the State Police Command to come back on 6^th April 2010, Tuesday, for the arraignment of Jasper Ndubuaku and Richard Azubuike Ndubuaku and we left.
On Tuesday, 6^th April, your Excellency’s Special Assistant on Security, Hon George Egu drove Jasper Ndubuaku in his official car to the State Police Headquarters.
On this Tuesday, 6^th April, 2010, we were once more shocked as the State Police Command started equivocating on the arraignment of Jasper Ndubuaku saying that he, Hon Jasper Ndubuaku brought a letter from the State Attorney-General that he should not be charged to Court.
This development is frustrating and tantamount to covering criminal acts, at a time the Imo State Government is complaining to the Inspector General of Police and the Acting President of the increasing wave of criminal activities on the State.
We note here that case file on the matter was with the State Ministry of Justice for more than one and half years before the Ministry could give its legal opinion on the matter. It is not, therefore proper for the Attorney-General to obstruct the course of Justice in this matter. We state that the blood of our son is constantly crying for justice.
The mother of the deceased died in tears and with broken heart as a result of the senseless killing of her son.
That the corpse of our son is still lying in the morgue for more than three years now.
That Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku has been openly boasting in our village that he has bought over the Ministry of Justice to re-write the legal opinion of the DPP and do all things necessary to make him free.
That Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku, continues to boast of his high connections in Government and that he would make sure that S. U. Onuoha, who wrote the letter halting his arraignment, is made a Judge of the High Court at all cost.
Sir, we wonder if the poor in Imo State can get justice.
In conclusion, we are praying your good offices to direct the State Ministry of Justice to allow the law take its due course in this matter. Secondly, we need adequate security for our people as there is a reign of terror being unleashed on us by the Governor’s Special Assistant, Hon. Jasper Ndubuaku and his brother, Chief (Dr.) Azubuike Ndubuaku.
Thanks.

Yours faithfully,

(For Ekwedim Autonomous Community)

Chief Chidi Agbawo

National President Mr. Anayo Njoku

National Secretary

Mr. Eugene A. Igbokwe

(Rep. Igbokwe Family