A traditional ruler elect of Njiko Umunna autonomous community in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, Abia state, Chief John Elijah, has threatened to kill any member of the opposition party in his community who convenes any meeting in the area.
In a video which has gone viral, Elijah issued the threat while dispersing a meeting of the opposition Young Progressives Party (YPP) which was ongoing at the Mbutu Nta market square.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the Councillor representing Ward 5 in the Osisioma Ngwa legislative council, Hon. Nnamdi Okoro, had earlier led some thugs to destroy chairs and canopies and dispersed members of the YPP who had gathered for the meeting at the Mbutu -Nta village hall.
Following the disruption of the meeting, the YPP members relocated to the market area to continue with the meeting when the traditional ruler elect invaded the venue over 15 boys and asked the party members to leave the venue.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com gathered that the traditional ruler elect warned that he would not tolerate opposition party meetings holding his community because such can stop the state government from giving him recognition and staff of office as traditional ruler.
His words; “I’m running to be the Eze of the community and you people want to indict me so that they will deny the Eze. I will kill somebody here. If I leave here and return and don’t shoot somebody dead, let me not get whatever I’m seeking for in life. If you people stay here again, I can’t enter my car and return to this venue without shooting somebody dead.”
State publicity secretary of the YPP, Mr. Bestman Eruba, who confirmed the incident, urged the state government and security agencies to stop the attack on members of his party in the state.
He said; “As the end of the meeting moved from the council hall to the market, the Eze- Elect now came with his own boys, destroyed the canopies, stopped the music and started threatening to shoot anybody he sees there if they don’t leave in 2 minutes time.
“The Eze-Elect threatened to shoot and destroy property of the party should a meeting of any kind be held in a said community town hall., Having failed to hold the meeting as a result of this criminal intimidation, the meeting was adjourned to be held at a later date.”
Efforts to get the traditional ruler elect react to the allegation was not fruitful as at the time of filing this report.
