By Ibe Ohakwe
A social crusader in Imo State and former aide to the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha, is still in detention nine months after his arrest.
Iwuoha was clamped into detention along with his wife Chioma Iwuoha on June 3, 2014 on trump up charges.
Famous Naija discovered that Samuelson got into trouble when he sent a petition to EFCC exposing his former boss. The petition embarrassed the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly who is also an APC Senatorial candidate for Okigwe zone.
Iwuoha had in his petition, dated February 18, 2014 opened up on the fraudulent activities committed by the Speaker.
According to the petition, the Speaker’s Chief of Staff, Kodichi Anamekwe, awarded fraudulent road contracts on behalf of the Speaker.
Some of such road contracts include the constructions of a 3.0km Umudim-Umubochi road and the 5.0km Ubaraogwu- Amiri road in Oru East Local Government area awarded to Eamdar Construcion Nig. Ltd and the Construction of 2.15km Mgbara Umuoji road in Ohaji Egbeme Local Government Area awarded to Emtony Global Connections Ltd.
Iwuoha noted that through various manipulations in award of road contracts, state funds running into billions of naira were diverted and used by the Rt. Honourable Speaker to acquire eye popping properties scattered across the country and abroad.
The properties the speaker acquired with alleged stolen funds include a N500 million naira Asphalt plant along Onitsha road Owerri, acquired in the first quarter of 2012, several mansions along Chief Ben Uwajumogu Street Federal Housing Estate Umuguma Owerri – West LGA, acquired in 2013, JASMINE Hotels and suites behind Imo Concorde Hotel valued at over N70 million and opened in November 2012, over 200 plots of land located in Owerri West LGA and acquired in 2013.
The Speaker also renovated, furnished and converted his father’s village one storey building at Ihitte/Uboma LGA into a palace at a value of over N400 million, built two other mansions in Ihitte/Uboma, renovated his father’s Hotel (Eastern Comfort) in Umuahia to the tune of over N100 million, acquired mansions in Aba and Umuahia, acquired a crush rock industry in Ebonyi State to the tune of over N760 million naira in 2013, converted the Imo State Liaison Office Abuja into his personal property.
The Imo State government reportedly “leased” out the five floor state liaison office for 20 years at the sum of N70,000,000 million to Imo Speaker, who in turn ejected all Staffs of the office forcefully in August 2013. Imo Speaker spent over N750 million in converting the edifice into a Hotel.
He also owned a hotel in Lagos valued at over N500 million naira.Iwuoha wondered why a man who borrowed N10.6 million from Chief Athan Achonu, N11.5 million from Chief George Eguh and N15 million from Chief Tony Chukwu and mortgaged his father’s properties at Aba and Umuahia in Abia state during the 2011 electioneering campaign can become a multi billionaire within two and a half years.
Famous Naija discovered that Uwajumogu’s sister, Chidinma Uwajumogu on getting informed about the petition called Samuelson on phone and threatened to kill him for exposing her brother. She accused him of conniving with the opposition to frustrate her brother’s Senatorial ambition and promised him that he will never witness the 2015 election.
Uwajumogu also called the social crusader on phone and threatened him.
Citizen Ikenna Samuelson raised alarm that his life was in serious danger. He sent a copy to the present Commissioner of Police in Imo State with details of his running battle with Speaker Benjamin Uwajimogu through a service delivery courier company known as RED STAR EXPRESS.
He also told the world through media press releases that should any harm happens to him and members of his family that the Imo House of Assembly Speaker, the Chief of Staff to the Speaker Mr. Kodichi Anamekwe, Chidinma Uwajumogu and the Acting SSA Media to the Speaker Mr. Emeka Ahaneku should be held responsible.
However, the Imo CP never bothered to investigate the Iwuoha’s death threat claims. Our investigations have it that on the 29th of April 2014, one Ahmefula Amadi, who Iwuoha exposed as Mr Emeka Ahaneku’s pen name released a press statement published in several media houses and blogs tagged Iwuoha plans to commit suicide if arrested.
Ahaneku claimed that he has uncovered the perfected plans by Mr. Samuelson Iwuoha, to forcefully take away his life in the event of any arrest occasioned by his inability to produce evidence of his fraud allegations against the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu.
This was the dummy sold to the public as the plot to eliminate Samuelson was hatched.
Iwuoha raised another alarm that he was a target for elimination, again the police never bothered to investigate this claim.
We gathered that on the 3rd of June 2014 a band of hoodlums went on rampage at the residence of Mr Samuelson allegedly on the orders of Mr Speaker to silence him or intimidate him for not shifting from his position.
The hoodlums not finding Iwuoha at home killed a bystander to send the message loud and clear to him that some “other things” are imminent. Samuelson, his wife and 17 others were arrested and accused of killing the bystander by name Frank Okolie.
Investigations further reveals that two days after Samuelson was arrested the Speaker’s Chief Security Officer visited his IPO (Supol Innocent Obi) in his office and money exchanged hands. Instruction was passed that Samuelson should be held in custody till after the 2015 elections to prevent him from releasing documents showing how the Speaker looted Imo state funds.
Out of 19 persons arrested in connection with the murder, 17 were released; leaving only Citizen Samuelson and his wife despite the fact that investigation showed that they had no hands in the death of the young man.
We discovered that the commissioner of police confided to prominent people in Imo State in telephone conversations that Citizen Samuelson was totally innocent of the allegation of murder but that he was under instruction by the state government to detain him and his wife till after the 2015 election.
They were later transferred to the awaiting trial section of the Owerri prisons. The family members of Franklin Okolie have told the world that Samuelson and his wife are not responsible for Franklin’s death and that they have since buried their son.
Famous Naija investigation shows that Iwuoha’s wife was granted bail in December. But Samuelson is still in jail.
The failed attempt to eliminate Iwuoha brings to question the unresolved cases of assassinations of some aides of the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly Rt Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu.
