KINGSLEY EBERE
A monarch, the Oba of Ibasa riverline community in Satellite town, Lagos, Oba Oriyomi Shittu Afeez, was said to have allegedly hired masquerades, brutally attacked Ezendigbo in Ibasa, Eze Chinedu Mozie and had him detained at SCID, Yaba, during the Governorship and State Assembly elections.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that presently Eze Mozie is lying critically ill at the SCID Clinic in Yaba without adequate treatment as ordered by Oba Afeez as efforts to get him released have proved abortive.
This was disclosed by the Supreme Council of Igbo traditional rulers (Ezes) led by their Chairman, Eze Lawrence Eze, who raised alarm and is seeking for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s intervention to save his life.
The Council, which comprises Ezes – Dr.Vincent Iwobi, Eze Ndi Igbo Shasha and Obi Anioma of Lagos, Eze Dr Vincent Iwobi, Eze Oriade, Eze Chukwuakalikamadu Emmanuel, Eze Ndigbo Okota/Isolo, Eze Jude Nnaemeka Arinze, Eze Ndigbo and Asiwaju Ndigbo Mushin, Eze (Dr) John Nwosu and Eze Chukwuemeka Sylvanus Onuaha, Eze Ndigbo Iba, held a press conference on Monday in Lagos.
They stated that their detained colleague, Eze Mozie, had earlier hinted them about threat to life by some people of Yoruba extraction in his community on the need to stay off the streets on the election day because any Igbo speaking person who comes out for the purpose of casting his vote on the day would be severely dealt with.
Speaking on behalf of the Supreme Council of Ndi Eze, their Deputy Chairman and Ezendigbo in Shasha, Eze Iwobi, demanded his immediate release and urged the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to treat the matter with the urgency it demands in order to avoid further breakdown of law and order in the State.
Narrating what happened, Eze Iwobi stated that on Saturday 18th March, 2023, when Eze Mozie went out to vote, he was accosted by the Oba of Ibasa Riverline, Oba Afeez, who bluntly told him that Igbo people are no longer allowed to participate in the electoral process in Lagos State and that it was an order from above.
However, Eze Mozie, who went to cast his vote with other members of Igbo community in the area, told him that he has constitutional rights to cast his vote as a tax paying citizen in the State.
Unknown to the them, Oba Afeez, who had already arranged youths and masquerades in the community, manhandled the Igbos, attacked them with dangerous weapons alongside the youths and masquerades.
While Eze Mozie was trying to defend himself to avoid being lynched, he ran to the palace of Oba Afeez and the monarch contacted the Police to effect the arrest of Eze Mozie by the SCID Yaba even in the pool of his blood.
“For the past three days, Eze Mozie was detained in the SCID Yaba Clinic bleeding profusely from all parts of his body, unable to talk and walk and not receiving adequate treatment” Eze Iwobi stated.
It stated that prior to the election, Eze Mozie and the Igbo residents in the area had been living peacefully and therefore, called for the release of Eze Mozie from the Police custody in order to enable him visit the hospital to receive adequate medical attention.
Eze Iwobi also stated that Eze Mozie did not commit any crime and it is the inalienable rights of any Nigerian to live in any place of his choice and that the security agencies should investigate and arrest those behind the dastardly act in order to serve as deterrent to others who might try such in the future.