IGBO IN DEFENCE OF TRADITION CULTURE (IDETRAC) CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF IFEANYI EKWOSI, AND CONDEMNS THE UNJUSTIFIABLE ARREST BY OPERATIVES OF THE NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE LED BY TRIO OF ACP AKIN FAKOREDE, SPO MICHAEL
SGT. SILAVENUS AGADA

In a press release in Awka, yesterday signed by Chief Azuka Igbo and its Secretary Mazi Nnadi Udeh said that Mr Ifeanyi Ekwosi, a businessman, Christian and Nigerian citizen of full age, with address at no.9 Awka Road Onitsha, the younger brother to Late Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Udala, and doubled as the lawful Attorney to Mrs Li Yuan Udala Ekwosi who is the only legal wife of Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Udala Ekwosi was unjustifiably arrested by Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala who is one of the wives of Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, on Thursday, the 26th day of January 2023, based on a complaint she submitted to the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force of Zone 13.

However, despite going to the station voluntarily, after he met the police officers, he was wrongfully detained in their cell for no just cause. After this horrible experience, they took him to SARS Awkuzu where they detained him in one of the cells there from the 26th day of January 2023, till date.

Meanwhile, the reasons for his detention were based on the unfounded petition and allegation by Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala that he was the one that killed her late husband late Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, who is his elder brother.

Before this arrest and false allegation of murder by Oluchukwu Kelly Udala, she had earlier on the 12th day of May 2022 used the instrument of police at zone 13 to arrest and detain him based on an unfounded and malicious complaint which is purely civil, and who claimed that he had dispossessed her of his late brother’s properties.

Sequel to the applicant’s arrest and detention earlier on the 12th day of May 2022, based on a baseless and malicious complaint by the same Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala which is legally civil, the applicant filed a fundamental right action against Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala and police officers at the same zone for the breach of his fundamental human rights and an application ex parte restraining them, their agents, privies from further arresting, harassing and detaining him, pending the determination of the substantive originating motion.

Upon the hearing of the motion ex-parte, His Lordship, Hon. Justice M.N.O Okonkwo on Tuesday, 7th day of June 2022, in suit No. OT/MISC.78/2022 and OT/424M/2022, made an order restraining Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala and police officers from zone 13, their agents, and privies from further arresting, harassing and detaining the Ifeanyi Ekwosi, pending the determination of the substantive originating motion.

The substantive originating motion is still pending at High Court 2 Otuocha before His Lordship, Hon. Justice M.N.O Okonkwo. And the matter was adjourned to 6th June 2023.

The issue between him and Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala has been proven to be purely civil and has no criminal element, as it related to the administration of the intestate estate of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, which Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala wants to appropriate only for herself and her daughter while leaving out the other children of my late brother from his other three (3) wives.

By implication, the current allegation and unfounded complaint of murder is an afterthought and a tactic used by Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala to arrest and detain Ifeanyi Ekwosi with the aid of police officers from zone 13.

As a result of Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala’s desperation in appropriating to herself and her daughter and disposing of all the properties/estate of the applicant’s late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi and leaving out the other children of his late brother from his other three (3) wives with nothing using the influence and instrument of police officers from zone 13, His Lordship, the Honourable Chief Judge of Anambra State, Hon. Justice O.M Anyachebelu on the 20th day of December 2022 in Suit No. A/MISC.247/2022 made an ORDER directing all parties including the police officers from zone 13 to ensure that the status quo in respect of the estate of Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi in question is maintained.

Upon his release from detention on the 18th day of May 2022, he made an application to the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters Abuja for the transfer of the case file.

And after the case file was transferred to Nigerian Police Force Headquarters Abuja, the police officers in charge called all parties to an interview including the 1st respondent.

IDETRAC learnt that after the interview, the police officers at Force Headquarters found out that the issue is purely civil as related to the estate of late Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi and subsequently advised all the parties to settle amicably.

However, despite the orders made by Courts of competent jurisdiction on the 7th day of June 2022 and the 20th day of December 2022 respectively, and the recommendations made by police officers from Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, Abuja advising Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala to settle amicably with Ifeanyi Ekwosi and members of late Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi family, Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala and police officers from zone 13 Ukpo in total disregard of the Order of Court and recommendation of the police officers from Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, arrested and detained the Ifeanyi Ekwosi again based on a current false allegation and unfounded complaint of murder cooked up by the Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala.

Without a doubt, the allegation and unfounded complaint of murder cooked up by Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala was purely aimed to frustrate the life of Ifeanyi Ekwosi by keeping him in a police cell and probably behind bars.

Meanwhile, the same late Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi whom Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala alleged the applicant killed was the same late Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi who fell victim to unknown gunmen at Ogidi and was brutally murdered together with some police officers.

We stand to say that this unjustifiable treatment is purely evil for Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala as a result of her misunderstanding with the Ifeanyi Ekwosi, to accuse him of the murder of his late brother.

While he was alive, his brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, before his painful and gruesome death at the hands of unknown gunmen at Ogidi, married a total of four (4) wives namely; Chika Umenyi, Tina Philip Udala Ekwosi, Chikwo Udeka and the 1st Respondent.

Chika Umenyi begat Kelvin kaobichimee Nonso Ekwosi (1st son), Tina Philip Udala Ekwosi begat Chiemelu Nonso Udala Philip Ekwosi (2nd son) and Ngozika Blessing Nonso Udala Philip Ekwosi (1st daughter), Chikwo Udeka begat Nneamaka Olivia Nonso Udala Philip Ekwosi (2nd daughter), while the 1st Respondent begat Claire Kanyiraruchukwu Nonso Udala Philip Ekwosi (last child/daughter), for my late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi.

Unfortunately, all the children of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, are still minors and cannot act on their own except through their next friend or guardian ad litem.

And the mothers of the other children of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, have for most of their lives been absent, hence the responsibility of raising them and caring for their general welfare was solely shouldered by his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi.

Upon the death of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, the responsibility of seeing to the general welfare of his other children, fell on him and other members of our family, as the 1st Respondent abandoned them.

Other children of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, are also beneficiaries of his intestate estate and cannot act on their own as they are still minors.

And as a result of the inability of the other children of my late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, to act on their own, Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala now sought to appropriate all the properties in the estate of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, for herself and her daughter.

Also, it is in the interest of these children that he stepped in, as their next friend to wage trs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala from her greedy venture.

IDETRAC maintain that since the painful death of my late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi at the hand of unknown gunmen, he and other members of his family have been the ones catering for the other children, including paying their school fees, medical bills and their feeding.

It was because he prevented Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala from appropriating his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, properties to herself that she instigated the police officers at zone 13 Ukpo against him, to take control of all the properties and deprive the other children of my late brother their fair share.

Legally, Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala does not have powers to solely administer the estate of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, or more so deprive the other beneficiaries.

But instead for her to resort to the court to settle the issue of administration of his late brother, Chief Chukwunonso Hyginus Philip Ekwosi, properties, Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala, now resorted to threatening and harassing him, with the police officers from zone 13 Ukpo, who she instigated with a false petition.

That the real dispute between him and Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala is purely a civil matter.

IDETRAC established that the petition written by Mrs Oluchukwu Kelly Udala is a mere ruse to wrongly invoke the powers of police officers from zone 13 Ukpo, to breach his fundamental rights and continue to harass him, IDETRAC cautioned