Date Published: 01/07/10
January 5, 2010
Press Release:
Re: Open Letter to the Nigerian Inspector General Police, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, and Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State on the Nkerehi Tragedy – 112 Families Were Driven Out of their Homes for the Past Four Months Due to Religious Bigotry and Terrorism, Financed By Dr. Godwin Maduka, a Pain Management Doctor in Las Vegas , U.S.A.
We the members of Nkerehi Town Union - USA are asking the Nigerian Inspector General Police, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, and Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State to disarm the so-called Umuchukwu Vigilante Group, (which in reality is Dr. Godwin Maduka’s militia) and Dr. Maduka’s youth thugs that drove the Nkerehi people away from their homes for four months now. There are more than 112 Nkerehi families who have been refugees living in the neighboring towns of Owerre Ezukala, Ogbunka, Umunze, Nneato and across Anambra State and Nigeria for the past four months. The Nkerehi people were forcefully driven out of their town by Dr. Godwin Maduka’s armed militia and youth thugs just because they refused that the name of their town to be changed from Nkerehi to Umuchukwu (Umuchukwu means “Children of God” in Igbo language) just because Dr. Godwin Maduka is bringing a Catholic monastery in the town. Dr. Godwin Maduka’s effort to change the town’s name represents with violence and terrorism represent religious bigotry and hypocrisy.
The Nkerehi people who are mostly poor farmers, petty traders, old men and women, children, young men and women have been living outside their town, homes, and families for four months and Governor Peter Obi has so far ignores their predicament, agony, and extreme hardship. Dr. Godwin Maduka’s militia and youth thugs have now systematically looted the houses of the Nkerehi people with impunity. The Governor was informed through letters and protest demonstration in front of the Government House Awka, and through media outlet but still the governor ignores this debilitating and excruciating human tragedy. The Governor has not asked where the Nkerehi people are living, whether they are eating, whether their children are going to school or whether their dead are buried. Where is the Governor’s compassion and kindness? This is an extreme failure of leadership and proof of extraordinary wickedness and cruelty on the part of Governor Peter Obi. We believe that the most important duty and responsibility of Governor Peter Obi is to protect the life and property of every person in Anambra State . With respect to the Nkerehi people, the Governor Peter Obi has failed woefully, and it will be remembered by generations yet to come.
The Nkerehi people have severally petitioned the Inspector General of Police on the terrible security situation in Nkerehi with no avail. It may not be surprising that some of the petitions might not have reached the IG’s desk because his assistant, ACP Chris Ezike has helped Dr. Godwin Maduka to humiliate, subjugate, persecute and prosecute the innocent Nkerehi people since 2007. ACP Chris Ezike has been on Dr Maduka payroll since 2007 and Dr. Maduka brags that he would continue to pay ACP Chris as long as he (ACP Chris Ezike) continues to enforce his war against the Nkerehi people. During Dr. Godwin Maduka’s recent visit to Nigeria in August 2009, Assistant Police Commissioner Chris Okey Ezike accompanied Dr. Godwin Maduka’s police led limousine convoy to Nkerehi, where Dr. Maduka introduced Mr. Ezike at St. Jude’s Catholic Church and announced that he (Dr. Maduka) came home for the final enforcement of changing Nkerehi’s name to “Umuchukwu”. During that visit, in a party that Dr. Maduka threw for his youth thugs and militia, Dr. Godwin Maduka ordered his youth thugs and his militia to force out of town all Nkerehi people who do not believe in changing the name of their town. Dr. Godwin Maduka promised his militia and youth thugs that the police would be on their side no matter what happened. It is, therefore, not surprising that the recent crisis in Nkerehi started immediately after Dr. Maduka visited Nkerehi in August 2009, and the police have so far protected the notorious and unlawful activities of Dr. Godwin Maduka’s followers, including murder. The Nkerehi people are asking the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbnnaya Onovo to stop the unholy, corrupt and wicked alliance between Dr. Godwin Maduka and ACP Chris Ezike and deploy a strong security outfit that would disarm Dr. Godwin Maduka’s militia, protect the town so that the Nkerehi people would come back to their homes. Ironically, ACP Chris Ezike is from Ogboji, the same Local Government Area with Nkerehi. The Nkerehi people sincerely believe that Mr. Ezike will never allow what is happening in Nkerehi to happen in his hometown, Ogboji.
It is also unfortunate but not surprising that the government of Anambra State under Governor Peter Obi has not shown any fortitude to stop the unlawful activities of Dr. Godwin Maduka’s militia and his youth thugs in Nkerehi. Dr. Maduka was reported and confirmed to have met with Governor Peter Obi at the Government House, Awka last August. Dr. Maduka is reported to have boasted that he is one of the chief financiers of Governor Peter Obi’s second bid for governorship race in Anambra State . It is also important to note that the crisis in Nkerehi started and continued as Dr. Godwin Maduka is forcefully trying to change the town’s name Nkerehi to Umuchukwu just because he is bringing a monastery to Nkerehi for the benefit of the Catholic Church. The Nkerehi people believe that Governor Peter Obi is so compromised and ideologically tinted in the Nkerehi tragedy that he forgot the fact that it is his paramount duty and responsibility to protect the life and property of every citizen in Anambra State whether they are rich or poor and whether the Catholic Church is involved or not. Likewise, the Nkerehi people believe that Governor Peter Obi will never allow what is happening in Nkerehi to happen in his hometown, Agulu or let his town’s people be refugees for a day. Unfortunately, the Nkerehi people have been refugees for four months and counting.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the town’s name, Nkerehi, is the only thing that is left for the Nkerehi people. Dr. Godwin Maduka and his cult followers have destroyed every historical landmark and antiquities in town for their hypocritical pretence of bringing a Catholic monastery to the town. They also destroyed majestic trees, including ancient iroko trees and African apple (Udara) trees to satisfy their weird superstitious beliefs. Dr. Godwin Maduka also bulldozed the town’s market and relocated it close to their so-called monastery site. It must be emphasized that all Nkerehi people are Christians without exception. Some families have Reverend Sisters and ordained Church Ministers. However, the Nkerehi people would have preferred for the town’s historical monuments and trees to be historically preserved for posterity as is done in every civilized society but Dr. Godwin has destroyed everything and now aggressively wants to forcefully take away our collective identity which is our town’s name.
Dr. Maduka and his followers do not want the Nkerehi people to come back to their town because the Nkerehi people do not want and will never agree for the name of their town to be changed without an overwhelming and overriding reason, due process, unanimity and consensus, devoid of superstition and religious bigotry and hypocrisy. The name Nkerehi, is our common heritage, collective identity and vital record and must never be changed without unanimous consent of the Nkerehi people. Moreover, the Nkerehi people believe that Dr. Godwin Maduka’s quest to change the name of our town from Nkerehi to “Umuchukwu” is not in good faith. The Nkerehi people believe that Dr. Maduka and his cult followers are diabolic and fetish. The Nkerehi people observed that in every structure that Dr. Maduka sponsored in Nkerehi, including St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Dr. Maduka usually bury a juvenile coffin in the foundation of each building. When the people asked what was in each juvenile coffin, Mr. Kenneth Maduka (Dr. Maduka’s brothers and confidant) replied that it was “Rock of Jerusalem”. Dr. Godwin Maduka’s followers have also brought questionable, diabolic and fetish people from India, Ijabuode, and northern Nigeria to Nkerehi to perform devilish rituals including burying a live ram in front of St. Jude’s Catholic Church.. Dr. Maduka also made everyone of his follower to take human blood oat making it difficult for his convert to quit his cult association. Dr. Maduka also distributed rings to his key leaders as a sign of protection and solidarity. As result, many of his followers who do not condone his activities are afraid to quit due to the blood oat that Dr. Maduka forced on them, which they believe would spell death if they quit. The Nkerehi people firmly believe that Dr. Godwin Maduka has used the name Nkerehi for a diabolic sacrifice and that is why he wants to abolish the name by all means necessary including murder and cover-up.
We hereby request for every person of good conscience to ask the Nigerian Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, and Governor Peter Obi to disarm Dr. Godwin Maduka’s militia and his youth thugs and provide a good and incorruptible security outfit in Nkerehi so that the Nkerehi people would go back to their homes without the fear of being harassed or killed by lawless thugs with pump action guns and other dangerous weapons. We are also requesting for a complete inventory of what Dr. Godwin Maduka’s thugs looted or destroyed in the homes and properties of the Nkerehi people because lawlessness should never be condoned. We are also requesting for the Inspector General of Police to intervene and release the individual who are unjustly being detained and charged by ACP Chris Ezike for the murder committed by Dr. Godwin Maduka’s militia. The police should investigate the Nkerehi matter properly and conclusively and throw the book on the real culprits.
Finally, we are asking Governor Peter Obi to take the leadership in settling the crisis in Nkerehi. The way his government under Mr. Dubem Obaze handled the matter is pitiful, disgraceful, and dreadful. It has unfortunately led to the intensification of the crisis and people being shot and killed and others driven out of their homes for four months and counting. The crisis in Nkerehi is crying out for good leadership and respect for human life and dignity. We are asking Governor Peter Obi to put life and dignity of the Nkerehi people over and above Dr.. Godwin Maduka’s ego, financial support, and religious bigotry and hypocrisy. Governor Peter Obi will not claim that he is not aware of what is happening in Nkerehi. When Dr. Maduka’s lawless militia and youth thugs started attacking the Nkerehi people on August 22, 2009 with the intent of running them out of town, the Nkerehi Town Union - USA sent a letter to Governor Peter Obi requesting for him to protect the life and property of the Nkerehi people. He never acted and the situation ended up in a catastrophe a week later. The second letter which was published lately on the Internet was hand delivered personally to Governor Peter Obi in his hand at ASA-USA Convention in Washington D.C., as far back as October 2009, and the Governor personally witnessed the emotional tremor associated with the Nkerehi tragedy in that Convention. He personally promised to do something about the Nkerehi tragedy on his return to Nigeria , but so far he has not said or done anything to bring the Nkerehi people home. The Nkerehi people now firmly believe that the culpability of Governor Peter Obi to the Nkerehi tragedy is very obvious and not in question. Nevertheless, we the members of the Nkerehi Town Union - USA are still appealing to the Governor as well as the Inspector General of Police to disarm Dr. Maduka’s militia and his youth thugs and restore law and order in Nkerehi Community so that the Nkerehi people would go back to their homes without the fear of being killed or maimed by Dr. Godwin Maduka’s armed supporters.
Sincerely,
Patrick I. Ibe Richard S. Igwike
Patrick I. Ibe, Ph.D. Richard S. Igwike, Ph.D.
President, Nkerehi Town Union – Secretary, Nkerehi Town Union -
U.S.A. U.S.A.
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