CSP John Ezeji, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) who was handling
the case of the missing Imo bail-out funds said to be in billions, is
dead.
He is reported to have died mysteriously before the Christmas celebration,
ahead of the next hearing date when he is expected to appear in court as
witness. He is said to have died under very unclear circumstances since he
was not known to have suffered from any form of illness.
His last encounter was when he led a crack team of police intelligence
officers to arrest the duty Police Officer, Mr. Gift Udenwoke from
Ohaji/Egbema LGA who was detained in police custody for more than 21 days
without trial on allegations that he aided and abetted the escape of Cook
Henry. All that the police hierarchy in Owerri stated as reason for the
arrests and crack-down on all the staff of Government House and other
personal aides who were deployed at the home of the Chief of Staff and
son-in-law to the Governor of Imo State, Uche Nwosu, was that they carried
out “mutiny” in their place of work.
At the time of going to press, the Imo State Police Command under the able
leadership of Commissioner Taiwo Lakanu has not yet defined nor explained
what they meant by the offence of “mutiny”. Instead most of those who were
or involved in the investigation of the alleged “bail-out fund scam” are
said to have been posted out of the police command. Besides CSP John Ezeji
whom our source said is from Anambra State one of the maigaurds he
arrested on his return from Adamawa State is also said to be missing.
The now deceased John Ezeji had led the operation that arrested constable
Gift Udenwoke, Ibrahim Abubakar, the Civil Defence Officer on duty and one
of the House boys to Uche Nwosu all of who were said to have volunteered
information on how the eloping cook escaped from the mansion allegedly
carrying bagages containing wraps of hard currency which were alleged to
be stashed away in a vault.
As if that was not enough, Ezeji known for his crack sting operation, was
also saod to have invaded Port Harcourt city in Rivers State and
successfully arrested the consultant who introduced the now missing cook
and linked him to Uche Nwosu, as a reliable and trust worthy domestic
staff.
According to our source, shortly after the case of the alleged missing
bail-out fund billions of naira was brought to public domain, by the media
and Human Rights lawyers to Gift Udenwoke, all the Police Officers who
were serving with the crack team unit that conducted the investigations,
were surprisingly posted outside the state. They include the now late CSP
John Ezeji who was redeployed to an undisclosed State in Nothern part of
Nigeria. As a pointer to the authority to this sad news, the wife of John
Ezeji was last week sighted at the Ikenegbu layout near MCC Road Owerri,
residence of the husband when she came to evacuate her late husband’s
personal belongings in a house said to be owned by an Mbaise born Domino
Hotels MD.
When contacted on phone, the widow apparently in tears, confirmed the
death of her gallant spouse and disclosed that he will be buried on
February 23, 2017.
So far, fear has gripped other Police Officers who were either involved in
the operation or who are well informed of the details of the outcome of
the operations leading to unrivalling the secrets that led to the cook to
allegedly fleeing Imo State with billions of hard currency suspected to be
part of the bail-out funds released to Imo State for the payment of
arrears of workers’ salaries and pensions. The fear and anxiety that
envelope and pervade the Imo State Police Command, particularly among
those who are privy to the expositions on the reported “mutiny” that took
place was further aggravated following revelations that the former
maigaurd to Nwosu has also not been heard of with his phone number
switched off. Both Ibrahim Abubakar and John Ezeji were scheduled to
appear in court as witnesses to the case of “defamation of character”
instituted against Community Watchdog Newspapers, where they were expected
to testify on the veracity or otherwise, of their volunteered information
and written reports respectively.
With their sudden death, the case may suffer some temporary setbacks on
both sides of the claimants and respondents.
When contacted to confirm the information about the mysterious death of
John Ezeji, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Enwerem while
responding to our reporter said that he is not aware that any of such
police officer is dead, let alone knowing if he was the police officer
drafted to investigate the case of “missing bail-out fund”.