The traditional Prime Minister of Agunese Mmaku Kingdom in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State High Chief Frederick Ngene has clarified how a Lagos based lawyer Vincent Okafor is currently being detained at the Enugu prisons
The reaction is coming on the heels of recent media reports where the detained lawer claimed that his traditional ruler HRH Igwe Cyprian Nevobasi is using the police to intimidate and harass him.
High Chief Ngene who brushed aside the claims noted that the legal practitioner is the cause of his travails.
He said; “these are people who threatened to cause violence in the Mmaku community by importing unidentified armed men into the community during the town union executive election some years back.
“Our King, HRH Igwe Cyprian Nevobasi in his wisdom had to avert the intended violence by postponing the election on the advice of the DSS Director of Awgu Local Government.
“This same group of people ran to the police with fictitious petitions.
“They tried to mislead the police with a fictitious petition where they claimed among other things that:
- His Royal Highness Igwe Cyprian Nevobasi is not a traditional ruler
- That he killed so many people and burnt down houses during the contest for the throne.
“The police did their investigations and found out that these things were unfounded and malicious.
‘The same people, turned around and accused the Inspector General of Police of being influenced by His Royal Highness; an allegation the police didn’t find funny, and charged them to court
“The lawyer in question was so unprofessional, made reckless utterances. He verbally threatened to deal with the police; he wrote so many unverifiable petitions.
‘The police have arraigned some of them and detained in prison custody while some of them including Emmanuel Okeke Uwabunkonye are still at large.”
Barr. Okafor was recently arraigned before an Enugu Magistrate’s Court on three counts charges bothering on offences of “felony and carrying out a warlike undertaking” against the community and its traditional ruler, Igwe Nevobasi.
The presiding Magistrate, His Worship M. O. Odigbo Esq of Enugu North Court 1, subsequently, remanded Okafor in prison and declined jurisdiction to entertain the alleged offences.
The charge sheet obtained with Charge No. MEN/590C/2024, has the Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu as the Complainant and Vincent Okafor as the Defendant.
The charge reads: “That you Vincent Okafor ‘m’ and others now at large on the 13th day of August 2024 at Agunese Mmaku in Agwu Magisterial District holden in Enugu did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: Promoting Local War and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 495 (a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol.II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.
“Count II: That you Vincent Okafor ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did without lawful authority, carry on a warlike undertaking against HRH Igwe Cyprian M. Nevobasi ‘m’ by attacking him with guns, cutlasses, axes and other dangerous weapons and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 86 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol.II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.
“Count III: That you Vincent Okafor ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did without lawful authority, carry on a warlike undertaking against the members/indigenes of Agunese Mmaku Community and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 86 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.”
