BY EDITOR
A social critic and an Ezza born indigene from Ebonyi State, Mr. Anyigor Methuselah, has petitioned the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the Directorate of State Security Service and Human Rights Commission over threat to life allegedly by some political associates of the Local Government Chairman of Ezza North Local Government, Nora Aloh.
Methuselah, who spoke through his lawyer, Barr. Sampson Ekigbo, claimed that he was abducted by Simbad Victor Ogbuatu, and Solomon Nworie aka Aliunwuezeoka, on the May 22, 2020, after making ATM transactions at Afikpo road branch of Access Bank Abakaliki.
According to him, the threat and ill treatment was as a result of his critical position against the government of Ebonyi State, on Facebook.
He called on the security agencies to immediately arrest and prosecute those who allegedly beat him up and collected his phone.
The petition read: “We have been consulted and our legal services retained by COM. Anyigor Methuselah of Umuoghara Community, Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State (hereinafter referred to as our Client) in respect of the above subject matter.
“It is on his authority and full instruction that we write to bring to your knowledge about this ugly incident and solicit for your urgent intervention, by ordering for the arrest and possible prosecution of Simbad Victor Ogbuatu Solomon Nworie DR. Mrs Norah Aloh and her boys.
"It is our brief, Sir :That our Client Com. Anyigor Methuselah is a good governance advocate and a social critic based in Ebonyi State, who uses his Facebook account to demand good governance by constructively analyzing the policies and programmes of the government while proffering solution to some of the identified anti- human policies.
“That our Client was abducted by the above mentioned persons on the 22nd day of May 2020, after making ATM transactions at Afikpo road branch of Access Bank Abakaliki.
“That our Client was forcefully dragged inside a Sienna tinted Car by the above named bandits and cultists and coerced to lie face down on the floor of the sienna Car.
“That our Client was taken to the house of one politician at Abakaliki who ordered them to deal with our Client and go after other persons already penciled down for abduction.
“That the above named persons on gun point collected the sum of Sixty five thousand naira (N65,000.00) only being the money our Client went to Access Bank to withdraw upon battering him in the process.
“That the hoodlums has in their possession dangerous weapons ranging from long guns suspected to be AK 47, pump actions and a small gun, axes, jack knife, cutlasses and other weapons.
“That our Client was forced on gun point to give them access to his Facebook account wherein he was coerced to change his profile picture to that of Dr. Mrs. Norah Aloh, the Executive Chairman of Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and another to that of the State government.
“That the boys loyal to the Executive Chairman of Ezza North told our Client that they have the instructions of their boss to kill him should he fail to stop attacking her government and that of the governor.
“That one of them Innocent Solomon Nworie who has been parading pump action gun even on social media was the first to beat him followed by Simbad before he was tied hands back, leg tied together and tortured with irons and gun butts by the whole gang.
“That our Client was unlawfully detained for days before faith and God’s sufficient grace smiled on him leading to his escape.
“That our Client is consistently threatened with death since that his near to death experience for narrating his ordeal to the public.
“That our Client cannot walk properly owing to the debasing and dehumanization treatment he received from the above named individuals.
“That our Client’s new phone is still with them till date. In lieu of the above sir, we humbly pray for the recovery of our Clients’ phone, immediate arrest and possible prosecution of Sim bad Victor Ogbuatu, Solomon Nworie aka Aliunwuezeoku Dr. Mrs. Norah Aloh, for the law to take its cause.”
Methuselah Anyigor narrates ordeals after being freed by his alleged abductors.
Earlier in interview with newsmen in Abakalki, Methuselah Anyigor narrated hard experiences encountered with his alleged abductors few days ago in the state.
Hear him: "On 27th of last month, exactly in the evening time, I was abducted along Afikpo road in the evening between 6.30 to 7pm.
"There were people in Sienna bus along the road, and called me, 'Oracle,' I responded because I thought they were my Facebook friends. When I reverse to say Hi to them, other boys from the Sienna bus came up with him, and grabbed me while my face was forced to face down the Sienna bus.
"They drove me to unknown location, and we got to the building, they took me inside the house. They took me to the bus and drove out again to unknown location. We got there around 7 to 8pm. They took my phone from me, forced me to open my social media account, and forced me to apologise to the state governor, and my local government chairperson, but I declined that I have not done to apologise to anybody.
"They hit on my legs and all over my body, I had no option rather than to obey what they asked me to do. So, I was allowed to open my Facebook account, and apologize the way they wanted to do it. They alleged that I'm being sponsored by the PDP, Ali Odefa, Elder Fred Udeogu to be writing against the government. I told them no one sponsors me and I'm not writing against the government but only demanding for good governance. They continued to torture me day and night.
"The next day, they came up and asked me, will they meet other critic? I said I'm not in any organisation with them and no one is sponsoring me, they began to torture me.
"In the evening of that day, they asked me to unlock my phone, when I unlocked it, they asked me to change my profile picture to that of the state governor and that of my local government chairperson, and I did that under duress.
"I then alerted some of my friends and some PDP members, they took it over from there. PDP while I was there, issued a press release of my abduction which made them to release me. The following day, I was released, they brought a list which they asked me to dial a phone number, but when I called, the line was not connecting.
"It was then I realized that I was in the old government house, and they decided to transfer me immediately in the night of that day.
"They blindfolded me and took me into the Sienna bus again to unknown location, while driving on the way, a call came in, telling them to come back and they said, they can't come back because they are aware that they're being tracked. Then a call came in and asked them to release me immediately that alot of people are already aware, and they pushed me down and drove away."
He added that it was an Okada man that helped him to reach his destination, thanking those who aided his release especially the PDP family, whom he said work alongside his close friends that tracked his contact and found his location.
I remember the speak Abakalki language like Ezza, but if I see them, I will recognise their faces. One of the greatest mistakes is forcing me to apologise the state Governor, by then, every sensible persons can drill that this is who sent them or who came after me.
I'm not safe now, is not the day before yesterday, that Izhi people were butchered in their home. How can say that Ebonyi is safe, when you talking the one already happened, others still unfolding. We are not saved here and my other colleagues, other social media critics are not safe because there are lists of them who may be their next target. The list is about twenty seven but I don't know actually know all their names. I know those am familiar and some of my friends because hence they put down the name, they put their phone numbers.
He alleged that some of his abductors spoke Abakalki dialects and noted that he would recognize their faces if he sees them.
"I told them that I only demanded for good governance, and there's topic I wrote on, that's, 'end reckless spending in Ebonyi State.' They showed me the post and asked me how can small me demanding for governor to resign or the State House of Assembly to impeach him.
"While I was there, they used Abakalki language to discuss, I got to know about where I was and some of my friends tracked my contact and be able to find my location. Each time, they want to use my phone, they always blindfolded. Some of them used to threaten me online," he added.
A social critic and an Ezza born indigene from Ebonyi State, Mr. Anyigor Methuselah, has petitioned the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the Directorate of State Security Service and Human Rights Commission over threat to life allegedly by some political associates of the Local Government Chairman of Ezza North Local Government, Nora Aloh.
Methuselah, who spoke through his lawyer, Barr. Sampson Ekigbo, claimed that he was abducted by Simbad Victor Ogbuatu, and Solomon Nworie aka Aliunwuezeoka, on the May 22, 2020, after making ATM transactions at Afikpo road branch of Access Bank Abakaliki.
According to him, the threat and ill treatment was as a result of his critical position against the government of Ebonyi State, on Facebook.
He called on the security agencies to immediately arrest and prosecute those who allegedly beat him up and collected his phone.
The petition read: “We have been consulted and our legal services retained by COM. Anyigor Methuselah of Umuoghara Community, Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State (hereinafter referred to as our Client) in respect of the above subject matter.
“It is on his authority and full instruction that we write to bring to your knowledge about this ugly incident and solicit for your urgent intervention, by ordering for the arrest and possible prosecution of Simbad Victor Ogbuatu Solomon Nworie DR. Mrs Norah Aloh and her boys.
"It is our brief, Sir :That our Client Com. Anyigor Methuselah is a good governance advocate and a social critic based in Ebonyi State, who uses his Facebook account to demand good governance by constructively analyzing the policies and programmes of the government while proffering solution to some of the identified anti- human policies.
“That our Client was abducted by the above mentioned persons on the 22nd day of May 2020, after making ATM transactions at Afikpo road branch of Access Bank Abakaliki.
“That our Client was forcefully dragged inside a Sienna tinted Car by the above named bandits and cultists and coerced to lie face down on the floor of the sienna Car.
“That our Client was taken to the house of one politician at Abakaliki who ordered them to deal with our Client and go after other persons already penciled down for abduction.
“That the above named persons on gun point collected the sum of Sixty five thousand naira (N65,000.00) only being the money our Client went to Access Bank to withdraw upon battering him in the process.
“That the hoodlums has in their possession dangerous weapons ranging from long guns suspected to be AK 47, pump actions and a small gun, axes, jack knife, cutlasses and other weapons.
“That our Client was forced on gun point to give them access to his Facebook account wherein he was coerced to change his profile picture to that of Dr. Mrs. Norah Aloh, the Executive Chairman of Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and another to that of the State government.
“That the boys loyal to the Executive Chairman of Ezza North told our Client that they have the instructions of their boss to kill him should he fail to stop attacking her government and that of the governor.
“That one of them Innocent Solomon Nworie who has been parading pump action gun even on social media was the first to beat him followed by Simbad before he was tied hands back, leg tied together and tortured with irons and gun butts by the whole gang.
“That our Client was unlawfully detained for days before faith and God’s sufficient grace smiled on him leading to his escape.
“That our Client is consistently threatened with death since that his near to death experience for narrating his ordeal to the public.
“That our Client cannot walk properly owing to the debasing and dehumanization treatment he received from the above named individuals.
“That our Client’s new phone is still with them till date. In lieu of the above sir, we humbly pray for the recovery of our Clients’ phone, immediate arrest and possible prosecution of Sim bad Victor Ogbuatu, Solomon Nworie aka Aliunwuezeoku Dr. Mrs. Norah Aloh, for the law to take its cause.”
Methuselah Anyigor narrates ordeals after being freed by his alleged abductors.
Earlier in interview with newsmen in Abakalki, Methuselah Anyigor narrated hard experiences encountered with his alleged abductors few days ago in the state.
Hear him: "On 27th of last month, exactly in the evening time, I was abducted along Afikpo road in the evening between 6.30 to 7pm.
"There were people in Sienna bus along the road, and called me, 'Oracle,' I responded because I thought they were my Facebook friends. When I reverse to say Hi to them, other boys from the Sienna bus came up with him, and grabbed me while my face was forced to face down the Sienna bus.
"They drove me to unknown location, and we got to the building, they took me inside the house. They took me to the bus and drove out again to unknown location. We got there around 7 to 8pm. They took my phone from me, forced me to open my social media account, and forced me to apologise to the state governor, and my local government chairperson, but I declined that I have not done to apologise to anybody.
"They hit on my legs and all over my body, I had no option rather than to obey what they asked me to do. So, I was allowed to open my Facebook account, and apologize the way they wanted to do it. They alleged that I'm being sponsored by the PDP, Ali Odefa, Elder Fred Udeogu to be writing against the government. I told them no one sponsors me and I'm not writing against the government but only demanding for good governance. They continued to torture me day and night.
"The next day, they came up and asked me, will they meet other critic? I said I'm not in any organisation with them and no one is sponsoring me, they began to torture me.
"In the evening of that day, they asked me to unlock my phone, when I unlocked it, they asked me to change my profile picture to that of the state governor and that of my local government chairperson, and I did that under duress.
"I then alerted some of my friends and some PDP members, they took it over from there. PDP while I was there, issued a press release of my abduction which made them to release me. The following day, I was released, they brought a list which they asked me to dial a phone number, but when I called, the line was not connecting.
"It was then I realized that I was in the old government house, and they decided to transfer me immediately in the night of that day.
"They blindfolded me and took me into the Sienna bus again to unknown location, while driving on the way, a call came in, telling them to come back and they said, they can't come back because they are aware that they're being tracked. Then a call came in and asked them to release me immediately that alot of people are already aware, and they pushed me down and drove away."
He added that it was an Okada man that helped him to reach his destination, thanking those who aided his release especially the PDP family, whom he said work alongside his close friends that tracked his contact and found his location.
I remember the speak Abakalki language like Ezza, but if I see them, I will recognise their faces. One of the greatest mistakes is forcing me to apologise the state Governor, by then, every sensible persons can drill that this is who sent them or who came after me.
I'm not safe now, is not the day before yesterday, that Izhi people were butchered in their home. How can say that Ebonyi is safe, when you talking the one already happened, others still unfolding. We are not saved here and my other colleagues, other social media critics are not safe because there are lists of them who may be their next target. The list is about twenty seven but I don't know actually know all their names. I know those am familiar and some of my friends because hence they put down the name, they put their phone numbers.
He alleged that some of his abductors spoke Abakalki dialects and noted that he would recognize their faces if he sees them.
"I told them that I only demanded for good governance, and there's topic I wrote on, that's, 'end reckless spending in Ebonyi State.' They showed me the post and asked me how can small me demanding for governor to resign or the State House of Assembly to impeach him.
"While I was there, they used Abakalki language to discuss, I got to know about where I was and some of my friends tracked my contact and be able to find my location. Each time, they want to use my phone, they always blindfolded. Some of them used to threaten me online," he added.
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