Umeofia of Erisco Foods: An Appeal to Buhari

THE NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF MY VILLAGE BULLY USING MEN AND OFFICERS OF THE NIGERIA POLICE.

I, Mr Emeka Muoneme, an indigene of Ebenator Okpala, Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, hereby make this outcry to state clearly that I am a fairly old man and a law abiding citizen of Nigeria. I am as well a successful businessman and have not at any time indulged in any criminal activity. There is nowhere you can find any record of crime against me. However and quite unfortunately, one of my kinsmen, Mr Eric Umeofia, the Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods Limited, is doing everything within his capabilities to smear my name with mud.

On September 13,2018, while in my home town Amichi, Mr Eric Umeofia of Erisco Foods Limited, engaged the service of the Nigeria Police in Zone 2, Onikan Lagos, to attempt to arrest me and two other kinsmen of mine – Chief Francis Onyeuno Okafor and Mr Paulinus Muoneme, for unspecified reasons. However, the prompt intervention of His Royal Highness Dr Ofobuike Alphonsus Ezeoke{The Paramount Obi of Amichi} scuttled the attempted arrest. He, Igwe Ofobuike insisted that the Police should extend an invitation to us instead of trying to make an immediate arrest.

Nevertheless, a week later, a petition was written to the AIG Zone 9 Umuahia, Abia State, against me by Mr Eric Umeofia and his cronies, on spurious allegations. I was thus, invited by the Zone 9 Police Command to clear myself on the allegations of forgery and fraud against me. Having volunteered my statement and secured my bail, I was allowed to go home.

Then, the AIG Zone 9, arranged a date and invited both myself and Eric Umeofia and his party to the AIG’s office so that he can hear from both sides. At the meeting, the AIG Zone 9, Umuahia, being a gentleman and an intelligent officer, made it clear that it would be improper for him to charge anybody to court without any clear evidence. He, therefore, asked Mr Eric Umeofia and his group to bring some, even if little evidence of their alleged forgery against me and also produce the people they claim I had defrauded at the next meeting.

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However, at the said arranged meeting, Mr Eric Umeofia and members of his group did not show up. Nevertheless, the AIG, Zone 9, Umuahia, in his magnanimity, gave them a benefit of doubt and fixed yet another meeting, hoping, Mr Eric Umeofia and his group would this time around attend.

Chief Francis Onyeuno Okafor was not lucky, for he was at the same time, also arrested, as he visited his family in Lagos, by men and officers of the Police from Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos and was subsequently detained, arraigned at the Igbosere Magistrate Court and remanded in prison custody for three days, on the same allegation that he forged Mr Eric Umeofia signature and used same to defraud unsuspecting members of the Ebenator Okpala Village Union, allegations which are baseless and hold no water.

Wealth is good and every right thinking person prays to become wealthy, in order to contribute meaningfully to the peace, prosperity, progress and development of his community as well as to ensure the well being of his people. Nevertheless, Mr Eric Umeofia seems to see this in the negative perspective.

Let me here put the records straight and make it clear to the general public the reasons why Mr Eric Umeofia is witch hunting and bringing false allegations against me and some other members of our village association. The problem stems from the division in our village Union, the Ebenator Okpala Village Union, Amichi. In the year2002, through the resolution of the House, our village Association directed Chief Francis Onyeuno Okafor, the chairman, Board of Trustees of the Union, to facilitate the registration of the Union with the Corporate Affairs Commission. In compliance with this directive, he assigned this task to one of us, late Mr Mathias Onwukwalu to handle. Thus, he late Mr Mathias Onwukwalu engaged the services of an Agent to do the job.

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This registration agent procured the CAC incorporation forms and gave same to all members of our Board of Trustees available in the country to append their signatures and affix their passport photographs, including Mr Eric Umeofia. Thus, the Ebenator Okpala Development Union was duly registered and the registration documents handed over to late Mr Mathias Onwukwalu who also handed over same to Chief Francis Onyeuno Okafor to keep, when he, late Mr Onwukwalu became very ill.

It is the same signatures in the incorporation documents which Mr Eric Umeofia and some members in his splinter group of our village union personally signed, that they are maliciously attempting to use to implicate Chief Frances Onyeuno Okafor and some of us in the village union, he Chief Frances Onyeuno Okafor has refused to release the incorporation certificate and other documents obtained from corporate Affairs Commission to Mr Eric Umeofia Splinter group and we that are solidly behind Chief Francis Okafor, Our Chairman on this are being persecuted by Mr Eric Umeofia and his group. May I therefore, urge the general public to discountenance and disregard Mr Eric Umeofia mischievous and misleading allegations against us as he caused to be reported on the 5th page of the sun Newspapers of October 1, 2018, just to tarnish Chief Okafor good image and that of some of us who support him. The elders and well meaning people of our community have looked into this matter and resolved that as the chairman of Board of Trustees of the union, there was nothing wrong in chief Okafor keeping the incorporation documents, however Mr Eric and his group appear to be bent on extracting a pound of flesh on us.

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Ask most people in Amichi, they will tell you that Mr Eric Umeofia is a thorn in the flesh of the whole community. He does not even spare his own family. For many years now, he had polarized his father’s family as well as some segments of our community. He does not even spare his own eldest brother, Chief Sir Emmanuel Umeohia, KSC. OON{Agu Emab, Ide Okpala Amichi} The Chief Executive Officer of Emab Plaza, who trained and made Mr Eric Umeofia what and whom he had become today. He does not allow the man to drink water and drop the cup; but for the superior and overwhelming influence as well as the maturity and fatherly stance with which this eldest brother of his handles him, Mr Eric one or two things may have happened. We are all witnesses.

He claims to be connected to the Presidency and attempts to use this so called connection to do what he deems fit. For example, he hired a bulldozer to demolish a building almost at completion stage, being erected by his eldest brother, Chief Emmanuel Umeohia for his immediate younger brother, Chika Umeofia, for no justifiable reason. Please see attached pictures 1 and 2. Recently also, he bulldozed a block of shops in a choice location in Amichi, which belongs to a member of our community, in order to grab and appropriate the land to himself. The matter is still in court as we speak. Please see also attached pictures 3 and 4.

From above evidences, it has become obvious that Mr Eric Umeofia is a wind that blows no one any good. May I therefore appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari and Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Idris Mohammed, to use their exalted offices to investigate the activities of Mr Eric Umeofia especially in Amichi, Nnewi South LGA of Anambra State and as well to protect my family, my good self, my kindred and entire Amichi Community from the hands of Mr Eric Umeofia.