Seven years ago, Owerri indigenes woke up to an ugly news that an 11-year old boy had been murdered in a hotel room. It was later discovered that the boy was only one victim in a long list of young people murdered by the Otokoto family crime syndicate. The Otokoto family was killing people and harvesting their organs for sell to foreign organ buyers. Outraged Owerri indigenes could not control their anger. They promptly burned down the vast Otokoto estate in Owerri town. After seven years, justice is finally coming to the Otokoto 7.: ThisDay.
quote:Seven Years After Gory Murder in Owerri... Otokoto 7 to Die by Hanging From Chuka Odittah in Owerri
The eight year-old Otokoto saga in which an 11 year-old boy, master Ikechuk-wu Okonkwo was murdered in an Owerri Hotel on September 19, 1996, came to the fore once again yesterday when the Justice Chioma Nwosu Iheme court passed a death sentence by hanging on all the seven accused persons.
Presiding judge, Justice Iheme handed down the judgement at about 1.20p.m yesterday after a four-hour address, during which she recaptured submissions of the defence and prosecution respectively.
The condemned men are: Alban Ajaegbu, Sampson Nnamito, Ebenezer Egwuekwe and Rufus Anyanwu.
Others are Lawrence Eboh, Chief Leonard Unogu and Chief Vincent Duru alias Otokoto.
The seven accused, the judge said, were condemned to death for colluding with one another not only to murder Master Okonkwo but also masterminding the secret killing of many others, among them one Mr. Sebastine reported to have been killed in the Lagos home of Unogu.
On conclusion of her report, the judge said: "you Alban Ajaegbu are to be hanged until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul.
"You Sampson Nnamito are to be hanged until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul.
"You Ebenezer Egwuekwe are to be hanged until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul.
"You Rufus Anyanwu are to be hanged in the neck until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul.
"You Lawrence Eboh are to be hanged in the neck until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul.
"You Chief Leonard Unogu are to be hanged until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul.
"You Chief Vincent Duru are to be hanged until you be dead. May God have mercy on your soul."
In an emotion-laden voice, Justice Nwosu described the judgment as "truth is like oil on water. No matter what, it shall always float. The law is clear on consequences of their offences. Since I can't change it, so be it.
"I therefore find first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh accused person guilty of the offence of murder as charged."
She described Unogu as a very intelligent citizen of the country who chose to apply his intelligence negatively, adding that he was "a sophisticated criminal."
Justice Nwosu said that it was an act of God that the principal suspect, (late Innocent Ekeanyanwu) was caught in order to expose the otherwise secret killings masterminded by the condemned criminals.
She said that obviously the blood of the young boy who was murdered had cried against his killers and ensured their death sentence. She dismissed the defence statement that Unogu and Duru were neither present at the hotel as at when the boy was being killed or his body buried. She also said the claims by Nnogu that he never knew Duru (Otokoto) was false because both were already well-known traditional chiefs in Ikeduru from where they hail.
The judge said that she believed the statements of PW10 (Margaret Acholonu) who said among other things that Duru and Unogu were well-known to each other.
"I have no reason to disbelieve PW10. He described PW6 as the mastermind of the murder of Ikechukwu Okonkwo. If he (Vincent Duru) did not know him (Leonard Unogu) he would not have sent Innocent Ekeanyanwu to him."
The judge rejected claims by Duru that he had no knowledge that the slain boy was buried in his hotel, adding that such could not have been possible since there were armed security guards on duty 24 hours among other staff of the hotel.
"It is only reasonable that Innocent Ekeanyanwu could not have carried a human head to Ikeduru if the said Chief Unogu has not counselled him to bring him a head. Why didn't he stop at any other compound than the compound of Leonard Unogu?"
The remaining five accused were sentenced to death for concealing information with or without compulsion.
"They therefore do nothing but supervise the slaughter of human beings and use the Otokoto Hotel as burying ground for unwanted human parts," Justice Chioma said.
Meanwhile, counsel to second and fifth condemned persons, Barrister J.C. Uwazuronye told journalists that justice was denied his clients. He vowed to take the matter to the appeal court.
The Imo State capital, Owerri, had been enmeshed in the Otokoto Saga after an 11-year old boy (Okonkwo) was beheaded for ritual purposes in September 1996.
Police investigation had implicated Ekeanyanwu, an employee of Otokoto Hotel, owned by Duru.
A curious announcement of the death of Ekeanyanwu, the star suspect in the murder of the 11-year old boy, by the Imo State police command in police cell on December 23, 1996, had sparked riots in Owerri between September 24 and 25, 1996. The chain reaction tagged: "Otokoto Saga" had left many houses, churches and noteable public buildings burnt by protesting mobs.
A controversial post-mortem examination conducted on the corpse of Ekeanyawu could not be concluded before the police hurriedly ordered his burial. The detectives from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos, sub-sqeutnly took over investigation into the matter.
The FCID and a judicial commission of inquiry set up by the Imo State government later established a case of complicity in the death of Ekeanyanmu in custody.
The government white paper recommended officers and policemen of the state police command involved in the investigation, including an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr. Ifeanyi Anwuzie, and an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Chukwu Obasi, dismissed from the Force and charged with murder alongside other policemen in charge of the cell where Ekeanyanwu was kept.
About nine policemen were subsequently arraigned at a Senior Magistrate Court in Owerri, accused of murdering Ekeanyanwu.
Before then six other persons tagged: the Otokoto 6", including the son of Duru (Otokoto), Vicent Obidiozor Duru, had been arrested for robbing one Dr. Omaka Okoh of N5,500 at gun-point on May 24, 1995 and kidnapping his daughter.
All six men, Obidiozor Duru, Amanze Onuoha, MaDonald Chukwudi Ebere, Collins Ndulaka, Sydney Onyecheged and Chidiebere Onuoha, were subsequently condemned to death by the Imo State Armed Robbery and Firearms Tribunal on May 30, 1997 and publicly executed on July 31, 1997.
Those condemned yesterday were eventually charged to court for the murder of Ikechukwu on Thursday, December 9, 1997
Will Iwuanyanwu be next?Posts: 84 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Otokoto and his group are all from the same Ikeduru with Iwuanyanwu. The people in that town don't want to hear about Iwuanyanwu because of all the terrible things associated with his name. Leo Unaogu is a brother to ex minister Laz Unaogu whom Iwuanyanwu nominated for the post. You can see that the man's name is never too far away from sacrilegeous acts in Imo state.
His village people attacked him last year in full glare of visiting dignitaries at Onyearugbulem's funeral last year over an issue involving the kidnap of a doctors son.When you count how many times the so called glass house has been associated with 419, you begin to understand why Iwuanyanwu's cup is almost full.
[ January 24, 2003, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: chiboy ]
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Originally posted by chiboy: Otokoto and his group are all from the same Ikeduru with Iwuanyanwu. The people in that town don't want to hear about Iwuanyanwu because of all the terrible things associated with his name. Leo Unaogu is a brother to ex minister Laz Unaogu whom Iwuanyanwu nominated for the post. You can see that the man's name is never too far away from sacrilegeous acts in Imo state.
His village people attacked him last year in full glare of visiting dignitaries at Onyearugbulem's funeral last year over an issue involving the kidnap of a doctors son.When you count how many times the so called glass house has been associated with 419, you begin to understand why Iwuanyanwu's cup is almost full.
chiboy
Please make sure that your facts could stand the test of a curious mind before posting article. I believed your post is made-up of rumors and innuendoes. Ndigbo should stop tearing each other down. The type of malicious attacks I have seen on this site is very appalling. The southern Nigerians have the tendency to allege the existence of marginalization of them by the northern Nigerians. But the former has not done anything to show a united political front. The social and political decorum found on Kanoonline.com is lacking here. The northern Nigerians will never berate their elders in public even when such elders are political liabilities.
Posts: 28 | From: U.S.A | Registered: Jan 2003
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You will do yourself some good by pointing out which of my facts you have a problem with. -That Iwuanyanwu was attacked at a funeral in his own hometown by his kinsfolks for which the mourning family has since disclaimed responsibility. Perhaps those who sought to tan his hide know nothing about respecting elders? or -That the Otokoto group are from the same Ikeduru as Iwuanyanwu or - That Laz Unaogu brother to Leo Unaogu the convicted murderer was not Iwuanyanwu's candidate for the ministerial post.
When a man's name constantly features negatively something is got to be wrong. I will tell Iwuanyanwu to his face that he is a disgrace to Ndigbo in public not in private. You can go to Kano online and bow before tin gods because here at BNW there has never been any sacred cows. Iwuanyanwu is no elder that deserves respect and more of his dark side will soon be revealed to the world. From the mobilization fees collected for roads that were not built to criminal associations everything should be revealed to the world.
The mallams at Kano online are worshipping their elders therefore Ndigbo must do likewise right ? Have you thought about the fact that those northern elders get respect from their youth because they do not work against the future of the younger generation like Iwuanyanwu is doing to the future of Ndigbo. Iwuanyanwu is a traitor a sabo and I will shout it from the mountain tops.
[ January 24, 2003, 08:04 PM: Message edited by: chiboy ]
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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You have a very unique name. Welcome to the battlefield. That's all I can tell you.
Posts: 150 | From: Abuja, Nigeria | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Egede1: [QUOTE]The northern Nigerians will never berate their elders in public even when such elders are political liabilities.
Brother Egede,
Welcome.
Its definitely great to have you on board. Going by your contributions on another thread your sense of history appears authoritative.
Regarding the statement above, which I highlighted, I am of the belief that most of our elders unlike elsewhere are self appointed individuals who we wake up to find their names foisted upon us overnight from external sources, usually for obnoxious and perverse achievements involving spraying of money, or through associations with past millitary regimes as fronts, and whom upon closer scrutiny in critical times, we come to find are more shallow and untrustworthy in their behaviour than their "Elder" classification would imply?
Could you consider how absurd it would appear in Yorubaland if Buhari were to have appointed Abraham Adesanya or any highly placed Elder in AD as his Campaign Manager in the Southwest? Even the mere thought or mention of it is such a contradiction to principled behaviour that no matter how deep the friendship, Integrity and self respect would compel the Elder in question to humbly decline, especially in light of the fact that Ohaneze is supposed to represent in Igboland what AD is in Yorubaland.
Can we then defer to this man as "Elder"? one who mobilized "Igbo Youth" using Ghana-must-go bags for OBJ to defeat his fellow Ohaneze Elder, benefited from the muzzling of genuine Igbo youth (from protesting against OBJ and PDP) by armed troops and mobile police whom Obasanjo used to achieve his so-called 500,000 man kick-off rally in Enugu?
Should we not here point out and reject this type of leadership witout ceremony especially in light of the fact that if this man had demonstrated true leadership and Elderliness, his consideration of greater Igbo common good would have prevailed over his perverse sense of loyalty to his newest best friend OBJ?
Does the lack of integrity at a critical time and a very sensitive time in the history of Igbo in Biafranigeria not demonstrate a potential fatal flaw vulnerable to be subjected to real scrutiny?
This is what I believe Chiboy has done in answer to Odester Nchege's closing question, which going by antecedents is not altogether too farfetched.
Again welcome my brother.
Please do not be too appalled though at the intensity of discourse, you'll probably come to find out that most on this forum are very well meaning and well mannered people with a passionate vision and a commitment to call a spade a spade and by so doing provoke a more thorough assessment of matters discussed than would obtain in many other places.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Egede1 sir; The insights and factual explanations on your first post on board was interesting,however, your "elder" Iwuanyawu is a well known theif in Igboland and beyound, a disgrace to the Igbo race. permit me with only two requests if you can, first kindly take your time and fish out more fullfilling Igbo men and women to be added in the list of your "elders" and need be lolo's, my secound request is save us the time of wasting more energy on southern Nigeria and save the Biafrans the insult of disregard and no respect, as for me I am a Biafran. wellcome on board!
___________________ He likened the second coming of Christ to the realisation of the Biafran dream, stating that at a time people least expect, the much sought Biafra would be a reality..Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku Posts: 622 | From: santiago, chile | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I have always loved the pursuance of the social and political well being of Ndigbo. While we do honor to this fundamental doctrine, our watchwords should be “do to a fellow Igboman as you would want that Igbo man do to you”. Having said this, I will state categorically that, although the names mentioned by chiboy are from Ikeduru, they are not from the same village. The fact that we may have different political affiliations does not connote that the misfortune of your brother in a different party lies on your shoulder. I know both Late Captain Anthony Onyearugbulem of Avuvu and Chief Emma Iwuayanwu of Atta both in Ikeduru Local Govt. Area. However, I had to call on the Ndigbo to shy away from politics of attrition. I share your frustrations that Ndigbo the once proud and invincible group in Nigeria has to succumb to this rat race of political smear and constant change of parties. Ndigbo should have done better in organizing them selves more than this emotional flare-up as evidenced in the support of Ojukwu and Ekwueme. I had wished Ndigbo had a forum where we can juxtapose the criticisms of our so-called leaders without washing our dirty linens in the public. Of course, Ndigbo are very different from the either the Yorubas, Hausas or Fualnis. So when leading political assaults on the person of any of these so-called Igbo leaders, we must take into account the independent nature of Ndigbo. In terms of politics, I do not prefer any candidate of Igbo extraction to another. But demanded that these politicians to answer to their responsibilities of past deeds either before, during or after the Biafra-Nigerian civil war.
Posts: 28 | From: U.S.A | Registered: Jan 2003
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You have gone one step in admitting that Iwuanyanwu and Onyearugbulem are both from Ikeduru perhaps you could go further and admit that Iwuanyanwu was humiliated and attacked at Onyerarugbulem's burial. The press release from Onyearugbulem's family distancing themselves from the attack is still available.
When was the last time you heard of a so called Igbo chief being stoned at a funeral anywhere in Igboland ? You don't want us to air Igbo dirty linings in public but you have been going from topic to topic denouncing Ojukwu publicly.In anycase if Iwuanyanwu is publicly embarrasing Ndigbo why should we chastise him in private?
You can take the lead and setup that forum where you can juxtapose in private, you sound like a leader so do us that favour please. Private Igbo forums, I thought they already did that with Yahoo. Folks, could somebody pass on the address of one of those Yahoo hideouts to Egede 1.
[ January 30, 2003, 03:31 AM: Message edited by: chiboy ]
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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What happened in Avuvu, Ikeduru is beyond political disagreement. It is not different from what happens in many other communities in Igboland when Nigerian polity gets too personal. It is absolutely naivete to remotely suggest that Chief Iwuanyanwu manifested the death of Late Capt. Onyearuegbulem. I hope you retract you statement about me on Ojukwu. Of course, I had the opportunity to inform Ojukwu, face to face, about my disagreements with his long lists of policies. Many of the policies remained most detrimental to Ndigbo. I may add that Chief Ojukwu was not as emotional as you have appeared on this web site. Your frustrations about the plight of Ndigbo in Nigeria maybe sheared among many of us but you should also bear in mind that few have tried to stretch the envelope of legality in the name of Igbo cause. Ndigbo must get rid of the tendency to become very emotional.
Nna O wu anyi anyi odighi onye nwuru ibe ya agawa ahia.
Posts: 28 | From: U.S.A | Registered: Jan 2003
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No one is suggesting anybody did anything to cause Onyearugbulems death,I am only trying to draw your attention to how people feel about your Iwuanyanwu.
Enyi, I have no apologies for being emotional. I have been waiting for you to state your clear headed and non emotional solution to the problem. There is no problem without a solution so let's hear what you suggest we do.
On my own I have decided to support anybody who can organize Ndigbo while we continue to struggle for freedom. Chekwas, Ojukwu and co. have started building from the scratch we need to give them a chance. Your friend should have joined them to build APGA if he really wants to serve his people rather than take the lazy alternative of ready made party.
[ January 31, 2003, 03:26 AM: Message edited by: chiboy ]
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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The one thing I had frown about Ndigbo is what you have attempted to suggest, thus, abandon your party and jump to a party led by Igboman that had claimed Ojukwu as its presidential candidate even if the party was barely certified by INEC. Those who helped formed APGA have been driven off the party because they exercised their civic responsibilities by questioning the procedure that saw Ojukwu as the presidential candidate of the party. Please, point of correction, I have not mentioned that either Chief Iwuanyanwu or Ojukwu is my friend.
Posts: 28 | From: U.S.A | Registered: Jan 2003
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It appears what I am doing here with you is what Ikemba termed "a dialogue with the deaf", you may call it a monologue if you wish. You have not responded to any of the issues I have laid before you. You just keep rambling from one thread to the other while refusing to acknowledge your lack of ideas or solution to the so called Igbo problems.
For the umpteenth time, how do you Egede 1 intend to positively change the Igbo situation ? We are all ears, and I will definetly work with you if you have the final solution.
[ February 01, 2003, 05:00 AM: Message edited by: chiboy ]
Posts: 1532 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
What emerges from the following interview well-taken by Ambrose is a view, according to Maxwell Otokoto that something has gone drastically wrong during his father's trial.
Given that judicial function is intended to resolve conflicts and punish crimes, the question, therefore, is, what would one say amounted to such an inbalance? And shouldn't there be limits on the scope and extent of judicial power and why does the society brook no criticism of judges when they exercise governmental power?
posted
Does anybody know if Ambrose Ehirim really met face to face with the Otokoto guy or was that a phone interview? What did the interview achieve for the Otokoto family.
Posts: 19 | From: London | Registered: Aug 2002
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I can assure you that Ambrose met face to face with the subject of this interview because we all (Maxwell, Ambrose and I) live in the Los Angeles area.
Furthermore, I had a prior knowledge of when the interview was to take place and I did have a personal knowledge of the face to face interview.
___________________ BIAFRA MUST RISE AGAIN. LONG LIVE BIAFRA!! Posts: 1080 | From: California, USA. | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
How are we so sure Ambrose Ehirim met with this Otokoto guy?
quote:In part 2, we publish the addresss by counsel for Chief Vincent Duru (Alias Otokoto)
Is this for real?
"The greatest thing about America is the right to disagree with the power structure without fear of torture or death at the hands of the government."
My name is Mota Ogallala Tekumseh, the proud native American.
___________________ The greatest thing about America is the right to disagree with the power structure without fear of torture or death at the hands of the government Posts: 217 | From: Ogallala, Nebraska, USA | Registered: May 2003
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