The residents who were dressed in black attire, marched through Okpara Square to the Government House and the state Police Command headquarters where they handed over their protest letters to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the Police Commissioner, Ahmed Ammani, respectively.
The protesting residents chanted sorrowful songs and carried placards with various inscriptions such as: “Save Ozallans from abductors and killers.” “Our government can save us please help!” “Stop kidnapping and killings of Ozallans. Enough is enough!” “Ozalla bleeds! #Justice for Dons,” among others.
They also protested against the continued disappearance of the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Donald Nwochi, and other residents of the community in the past two years without trace.
The PUNCH had reported that the traditional ruler of one of the five autonomous communities was kidnapped in his hotel on December 24, 2021 and has not been seen till date despite family paying N5 million ransom to his abductors.
The protesting residents, therefore, demanded an action from the state government and security agencies, describing the assassination of Chief Udeh as one killing too many.
Addressing some journalists at Okpara Square, the President-General of Ozalla Development Union, Chief Charles Nwagbara, said the community could no longer bear the ceaseless disappearance of their illustrious sons without trace.
Nwagbara said the protest was to demand justice for the deceased and unravel the mystery behind the incident.
“The incident we are protesting about happened penultimate Saturday, which we all took as that of missing person. We thought that he would come out as we went into prayers. Little did we know that the devil and the bad people in our society had taken his life.
“We are not saying that we are suspecting anybody. But it has happened to us one time and too many times.
“You will recall that on December 24, 2021, Igwe Dons Nwochi was kidnapped and up till today he has not returned.
“Now again, Chief Engr. Dons Udeh was abducted and his phone was found within Enugu here and we were informed that his corpse was found at 9th Mile.
“We the Ozalla people are aggrieved. We are demanding for justice. We have decided to match to the government house to have a conversation with the governor over these abductions.
“The gap Udeh’s death has left in our community, will be too huge to fill by anyone else,” he said.
Asked whether the community had any clues about these incidents, Nwagbara, who doubles as the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association in Enugu, said, “There are no clues yet for the perpetrators of this crime. No arrest has been made. That’s why we’re protesting.
“Apart from Igwe Donald Nwochi, there are some other such incidents like that and we are worried as a community.
“We are also demanding that the perpetrators of these heinous acts be brought to justice.
“I want to thank the people of Ozalla who had thronged out here. It is Dons today, who knows whose turn it could be tomorrow?”
Meanwhile, the Enugu State government has placed N5 million bounty on Udeh’s killers.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi announced the cash reward for any person or group that provides information to the Nigeria Police that would lead to the arrest of those involved in the killing.
He also approved the release of another N5 million — one million naira each, to the five communities in Ozalla, where the late Udeh hailed from, to assist them in their separate and collective investigations towards unravelling those behind the death of their son.
He made the announcement when a delegation of the people of Ozalla, led by the President-General of Ozalla Development Union, Nwagbara, visited him at the Government House, Enugu, on Wednesday, to demand justice and appeal to the governor for further intervention in the matter.
The governor, expressing deep concern over the matter, commiserated with the immediate family of late Udeh in particular and Ozalla in general.
The governor, who spoke in Igbo language, described Udeh’s death as painful and a great loss, not only to his family and community, but also to the entire state.
He told the delegation that he had detailed the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Ahmed Ammani, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, DCP Fidelis Ogarabe, to carry out thorough investigation into the matter to unravel the culprits and bring them to justice.
He pledged to get to the root of the matter to serve as deterrent to others and enhance the status of the state as one of the safest and most peaceful states in the country.
