By Patrick Ochei
Sources within the Force Headquarters, Nigerian Police Force, Abuja have hinted our Correspondent that the embattled traditional ruler of Okpanam community in Oshimili North LGA of Delta State, HRM Mbanefo Michael Ogbolu was arrested based on petition against him over an alleged fraudulent sale of Obodogba land to the tune of #700 million.
The properties of the land owners in that location of Obodogba land in Okpanam were maliciously destroyed in a bid for the buyers to take possession while some persons were injured including other damages.
A case was instituted in court against Ugoani and some of his cohorts and based on this, one Barry and others were to be remanded in prison. However, the traditional ruler was alleged to have paid #1.5 million to secure their bail but with a strict instruction for them to return to court on an agreed date. But this never happened as they jumped bail, prompting the petitioners to send another petition to the Force Headquarters.
Having gone through the criminally documented files of the land grabbers, the traditional ruler and Co were invited to Abuja on several occasions to answer to the case but they flouted the orders.
Eye witness accounts revealed that the traditional ruler was arrested by operatives from the Force Headquarters around 7am on his way back from church on Sunday 19th December, 2021.
The sources had said that he was double crossed by a Police Jeep and Sienna by Nzeogwu roundabout, tear-gassed, handcuffed and dragged out of his car into the Police vehicle while they drove off.
Our Police sources hinted that the Secretary to Delta State Government who is from Okpanam, made frantic efforts to get the operatives to drop the arrest. It was gathered that he called and called while they were still within at the RRS office, appealing to them to relax the arrest but to no avail. He even begged that they should travel to Abuja by flight instead of driving, but still to no avail.
But while the SSG was making that appeal, the other chiefs of the Ugoani were making motorized announcements that they were searching for the traditional ruler of the land whom they were also speculating to have been abducted.
This compelled the PPRO, Delta State Police Command, DSP Edafe Bright to issue a confirmation release on the Ugoani’s arrest by the orders of the IGP to Abuja, to answer to some criminal allegations and not abduction as speculated.
Meanwhile, the Ugoani was detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja from Sunday to Monday evening before he was released on self recognition but to return to Abuja with other of his accomplices on the 10th of January, 2022.
And while his arrival was still being awaited, his supporters started releasing gun shots around 6:20pm to the amazement of many who taught he could have just quietly return to his Palace to begin to think on how to engage PR Professionals on image laundering.
However, we can authoritatively report that his release was made possible by the effort of the APC Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi. It was gathered that an APC member and former Councillor, who felt ashamed about the situation might have reached out to the Senator who acted swiftly and was able to intervene where others failed.
Aside returning to Abuja with others for questioning, the suspects would most likely continue to appear in court to defend the charges brought against them by those they illegally sold off their lands, attempted to kill with various degrees of injuries and malicious damages of their properties and then the issue of jumping of bail.
This situation has indeed brought embarrassment to Delta State Government, Anioma Nation, Oshimili North LGA, the Traditional Institution in Delta State, Okpanam Community and the Ugoani Stool.
From a grapevine, the government may institute a Disciplinary Panel to look into various alleged criminal cases against the traditional ruler with a view to taking a decision on that office.
Earlier in August 2021, The Zion Nationale Newspaper, published by an Okpanam indigene had written a detailed report of the alleged fraudulent dealings of the traditional ruler and forgery of the Governor’s signature.
In that publication titled ‘Okpanam Monarch, Wisdom Mecdom In Trouble For Fraud, Forging Gov’s Signature … Arrested By Police’, it was reported that “Records have shown that HRH Mbanefo had been behind the stealing and illegal acquiring of people’s properties with his accomplices in Okpanam Town.
“Records further revealed that Mbanefo Ogbolu had also been involved in forgery with his accomplices.
“Our sources confirmed how he was recently arrested with Wisdom Mecdom Properties by the Police and detained at the Special Investigation Bureau in Delta State Police Command.
“Mbanefo and his accomplices in crimes are now in trouble water having forged and super imposed the Delta State Governor’s signature on land documents to steal people’s landed properties in Okpanam.
“The exposure and his criminal cartels to the public domain began when he went to destroy the properties of some persons in Okpanam and acquired them forcefully, which was claimed by sources that he sold same to Wisdom Mecdom for #700 million. The sources revealed that Wisdom Mecdom had made a part payment of #70 million to Mbanefo and some of his Palace chiefs.
“The owners of the properties who were not push overs decided to investigate the documents in the Lands Ministry and in the Governor’s office, exhibited by Mbanefo and his accomplices. During the investigations, it was confirmed that the documents which bore the signature of the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa was forged and super imposed on the documents”, reported by Zion in parts.
Moreover, efforts to reach Ugoani on phone to either counter some of the allegations or state his own side of the story, proved abortive.
