Lagos—The Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered the Director-General, State Security Service, SSS, Mr Ita Ekpenyong, and Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate last year's abduction of a royal father in Anambra State , Chief Lawrence Oragwu.
Justice Mohammed Idris, in a judgment, ordered Abubakar to mandate a special unit of the police to commence or take over and conclude the investigation.
He ordered the respondents to transmit to the court's registry a type-written report of their respective investigations "within three months."
Chief Oragwu, a retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, was abducted by unknown gunmen on June 2, last year in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State , on his way from church with his driver.
He was at the time the acting Igweof Adazi-Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.
The judge noted that the respondents did not defend the action, and therefore entered judgment in favour of the plaintiff, Mr Nnamdi Oragwu, a lawyer, who is the royal father's son.
Mr Oragwu had told the court that a Toyota Hilux truck drove in front of his father's car and blocked him and his driver. About four heavily armed men alighted, dragged the driver out, pushed Chief Oragwu into the truck, and drove off, taking his car along.
He said another individual from a neighboring village who was also abducted by the same gang escaped after disarming one of them of an AK47 riffle which had an inscription suspected to be from the military.
The lawyer then petitioned the SSS, as well as the Chief of Army Staff on June 16 and June 21 last year, but they allegedly did not respond until a newspaper contacted the army.
Meanwhile, the family received an anonymous letter from a person claiming to be an army officer, who narrated how the kidnap plot was hatched and perpetrated, naming some participants.
The letter, which was undated and unsigned, read in part: "This is to inform the general public and people of Adazi Nnukwu that the man they are looking for is dead. I am a soldier at Onitsha Barracks 302 Artillery Regiment. I participated in the assassination operation that was disguised as kidnap."
The writer went on to name a lieutenant who enlisted him in the plot, who contracted his employer and how the operation was carried out. The letter was among the exhibits before the court.
Based on the tip, Oragwu wrote a petition to the Provost Marshal of the Army attaching a copy of the "confessional statement" and requesting a full investigation into it to confirm whether any army officer goes by the name indicated.
In December last year, he was invited for an interview at the Special Investigation Bureau, Arakan Army Barracks in Apapa, Lagos where he was given assurances that a speedy inquiry would be conducted and a report forwarded to him. Oragwu said he wrote a reminder to the Chief of Army Staff on June 14 this year, yet no response was received.
He added: "From all indications, none of the respondents herein or any security agency has taken any concrete step to unravel the mystery surrounding the abduction of the applicant's father.
"With the possible involvement of officers of the Nigerian Army in this heinous crime, issues of national security have arisen calling for serious action by the respondents.
"It is now more than a period of one year since the incident was reported to the respondents but no thorough investigation report – interim or final – has been published or sent to the applicant in respect of his petitions."
When the case came earlier on Monday, members of the community, led by the President, Adazi-Nnukwu Town Development Union, Lagos Branch, Chief Theophine Enemuoh, stormed the court, demanding that Chief Oragwu be found.
They decried a situation where their former ruler would be abducted for over a year without a trace.
Vanguard Nigeria
I trust them to do a proper investigation on the matter.
They are very good at that