April 25, 2010
An Imo State publisher and former Acting Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Mr. Ike C. Ibe, has cried out against alleged threats to his life and those of his family by the Governor of the State, Ikedi Ohakim.
In a petition to the Inspector General of Police dated April 7, 2010, Mr. Ibe described what he called a “State sponsored terrorism operation” carried out by agents of the governor at his company, Excelsior Press Limited, at 68 Okigwe Road, Owerri. The company employs 52 people.
Mr. Ibe said that the assailants, led by George Egu, the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Ohakim and the ADC to the Governor, included over 50 armed police officers and about one hundred armed vigilantes who ransacked the premises, destroying property and equipment. They also stole N3.7 million which was part of the salaries of the company’s employees.
Mr. Ibe, who says the company is still sealed, leading to the daily loss of millions of Naira in revenue, says he learned from the mass media that he and his company are being charged with “Distributing Subversive Materials against the Government to incite the public against Governor Ikedi Ohakim”.
“The fact of the matter is that we are a commercial printer and the book we printed was contracted to us by a political group known as (The Alliance for the Good governance of Imo State). The Title of the book we printed is “THE GUARANTEE FOR BETTER TOMORROW, OHAKIM MUST GO”. We just printed this as contractors and not publishers or distributors,” the petition states.
Mr. Ibe further reminded the IG of a July 2009 petition about the threat to my life by the Ohakim-led administration and a petition to the Imo state police command under Aloysious Okorie. Neither petition was investigated.
“On investigations from several sources, I was reliably informed that the group that were sent by Ohakim to invade my business premises were instructed to cause commotion in my office and use the opportunity to shoot me down under the guise of accidental discharge or resistance of arrest,” Mr. Ibe writes in his latest petition.
“Fortunately for me, I was not in the office the time they stormed. They were confronted by my managing director in the process of their vandalizing my office and brutalizing my staff. I have no other interpretation of this other than Ohakim’s threat to crush me and destroy me now being carried into effect systematically. Unfortunately they are using members of the Nigerian police, security operatives and Ohakim’s illegal state police/vigilante.”
He appealed to the IG: “I am calling on the security agencies to protect me, my business and family and serve me with integrity by investigating this and bringing the culprits to book. Please protect my life from these assassins before another innocent life is wasted by unscrupulous politicians, overzealous sycophants and a compromised Imo state police command.”
April 7, 2010
The Inspector General of Police
Force Headquartes
Abuja
Threat to My Life and family, destruction of my properties and business by Governor Ikedi Ohakim, George Egu and his agents in Imo State and others.
My name is Ike C. Ibe. I am a native of Amuzi, Obowo local government area in Imo State. I am a lawyer, a former member and acting speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, a former Imo State Representative in the United States of American and governorship candidate in the last 2007 elections in Imo State. I am founder and President of Imo International Medical Mission, Ike C. Ibe Foundation and Project Ike International, all humanitarian organizations formed in the United States but working throughout Nigeria. I am the publisher of Frontline Newspaper. I am also a director and Executive Vice Chairman of Excelsior Press Limited located in Owerri Imo State, Nigeria. I teamed up with some partners and established what has been seen today as the biggest one stop digital printing plant in West Africa by the name Excelsior Press Limited, located at 68 Okigwe Road, Owerri, Imo State with fifty (52) employees. After about a year of shipping, clearing and installations, the business officially kicked off on January 4, 2010. As a commercial printing facility and a public service company, we take jobs from anybody that need our services, including individuals, small companies, governments, fortune 500 companies, etc.
On Thursday April 1, 2010 at 2:25 p.m., in what could best be described as a State sponsored terrorism operation, One Hon. George Egu (SA on Security to His Excellency Governor Ikedi Ohakim), and the ADC to the State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim commanded a team of over fifty armed police officers and about one hundred armed vigilante people from different Local Government Areas of Imo State, in commando style with over 22 New face Organization vigilante vans, Prado Jeeps and Hillux vehicles, and invaded my company (Excelsior Press Limited). They bulldozed their way into the administrative offices, pre-press, production and post production sections of my company without a search warrant. They broke into my marketing, quality control, Human resources, conference room and accounts departments and stole 3.7 million Naira part of workers salary. They carted away customers printed jobs and impounded the books printed for The Alliance for Good Governance of Imo State (a political group operating in Imo State). They destroyed most of our digital and production equipments like: Heidelberg Speedmaster five colors, Duplo Booklet Master with 20 Bins, Heidelberg CPC Tronic, Direct Imaging (DI), Auto pro machine, AB Dick Press, GTO 52 Press, Thermographic Unit, Agfa Palladio CPC, Stahl Folder, Duplo score/cutter/ creaser, light table, Auto Pro numbering Machine, Rhinestone Machine, Docutech, Docucolor, JETi large format machine, 2 AVR/UPS, Plate material, Pad Press, Silk Screening Machine, Roland Large format Printer, Graphic Computers and Spectra 52 Cutting Machine, all damaged equipments worth over 2 million Dollars.
The ADC to the Governor and Hon. George Egu led the gang of armed police and ferocious looking vigilante groups armed with rifles and locally made guns, pump actions, machete, dagger and axe, and they brutalized and abducted seven staff of my company and took them directly to the Government House were they forced them under duress to pose for some funny photographs. They invited the police commissioner, Aloysius Okorie to the Government House and he went in and had a meeting with His Excellency the Governor. Others present were Eze Ilomuanya chairman of council of traditional rulers in Imo State, the chief of staff to the governor, the SSG, the CSO, the Principal secretary to the governor, George Egu, governor’s ADC etc. They were berating the armed men who raided my office for not getting me contrary to their instructions. This they were saying in the presence of my staff who were being punished right in front of them. At about 6:oo p.m., the ADC with about twelve armed police officers in a convoy of two Prado Jeeps and a van with an inscription on the body (Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, office of the Governor) went back to my company (Excelsior Press Limited) along with my seven abducted employees, they walked around the printing plant and brought out fake search warrant and forced them to sign it. The ADC took them back, but at this time he drove them straight to the State Police Headquarters which is directly opposite the Governor’s office and handed them over to the CIB office. From the CIB office, they were transferred to CID office and were later assigned an IPO who locked them up in the cell.
At 7:30 p.m., another team of 12 armed police officers were dispatched to my company to SEAL it saying they were acting on instructions. As a commercial printer, our work is based on deadline and as a public service company we print for everybody, we don’t discriminate. We have printed for different Imo state government agencies and political groups, including PDP, AC, APGA, ADC, PPA, Newface Organization (Ohakim’s political organization), and Pro IBB Group, Pro INEC Chairman Group, Njaba State Movement, Urashi State Movement, Adada State Movement, etc. My employees languished in jail till Tuesday April 6th when they were given bail in court after pleading not guilty to ridiculous four count charge of subversion of Ohakim’s government. My company is still sealed up and barricaded by fierce looking policemen sent by Ohakim and Aloysious Okorie the CP. As a result, we have lost and continue to loose millions of naira everyday our business premises is under seal by the police. We read from the front cover of three local newspapers and the headline news of IBC, Imo FM Radio Stations and Imo Orient Television that my staff and my company was charged for “Distributing Subversive Materials against the Government to incite the public against Governor Ikedi Ohakim”. The fact of the matter is that we are a commercial printer and the book we printed was contracted to us by a political group known as (The Alliance for the Good governance of Imo State). The Title of the book we printed is “THE GUARANTEE FOR BETTER TOMORROW, OHAKIM MUST GO”. We just printed this as contractors and not publishers or distributors.
In July 2009 I petitioned your office about the threat to my life by the Ohakim led administration in Imo State and the invasion of my country home by ohakim security operatives, agents and thugs when I was having a private meeting. I also petitioned the Imo state police command under Aloysious Okorie. My petition was not investigated. Soon after, Ikedi Ohakim summoned some political leaders and traditional leaders of my local government to the government house and openly boasted to them that he will crush me and destroy me simply because he believes I will run against him in the 2011 governorship election. My people reported this to me in a formal meeting they convened thereafter on this threat. Ever since this year, I have been getting threatening calls from people who claim they are a special killer squad and sometimes these callers claim to be Ohakim’s vigilante police. At several times, I have often noticed suspicious vehicles with covered plate numbers parked around my home in Owerri. Imo state has been turned into a state that abhors political opposition and unfortunately, the police command as presently constituted there is a willing tool being used by the government and the Ohakim vigilante to oppress the people and commit all sorts of illegalities.
On investigations from several sources, I was reliably informed that the group that were sent by Ohakim to invade my business premises were instructed to cause commotion in my office and use the opportunity to shoot me down under the guise of accidental discharge or resistance of arrest. Fortunately for me, I was not in the office the time they stormed. They were confronted by my managing director in the process of their vandalizing my office and brutalizing my staff. I have no other interpretation of this other than Ohakim’s threat to crush me and destroy me now being carried into effect systematically. Unfortunately they are using members of the Nigerian police, security operatives and Ohakim’s illegal state police/vigilante. I am calling on the security agencies to protect me, my business and family and serve me with integrity by investigating this and bringing the culprits to book. Please protect my life from these assassins before another innocent life is wasted by unscrupulous politicians, overzealous sycophants and a compromised Imo state police command.
Thanks.
Rt Hon Barrister Ike C. Ibe
Cc. The National Security Adviser to the President
The Director General, SSS
The Chairman, Public Complaints Committee
In a petition to the Inspector General of Police dated April 7, 2010, Mr. Ibe described what he called a “State sponsored terrorism operation” carried out by agents of the governor at his company, Excelsior Press Limited, at 68 Okigwe Road, Owerri. The company employs 52 people.
Mr. Ibe said that the assailants, led by George Egu, the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Ohakim and the ADC to the Governor, included over 50 armed police officers and about one hundred armed vigilantes who ransacked the premises, destroying property and equipment. They also stole N3.7 million which was part of the salaries of the company’s employees.
Mr. Ibe, who says the company is still sealed, leading to the daily loss of millions of Naira in revenue, says he learned from the mass media that he and his company are being charged with “Distributing Subversive Materials against the Government to incite the public against Governor Ikedi Ohakim”.
“The fact of the matter is that we are a commercial printer and the book we printed was contracted to us by a political group known as (The Alliance for the Good governance of Imo State). The Title of the book we printed is “THE GUARANTEE FOR BETTER TOMORROW, OHAKIM MUST GO”. We just printed this as contractors and not publishers or distributors,” the petition states.
Mr. Ibe further reminded the IG of a July 2009 petition about the threat to my life by the Ohakim-led administration and a petition to the Imo state police command under Aloysious Okorie. Neither petition was investigated.
“On investigations from several sources, I was reliably informed that the group that were sent by Ohakim to invade my business premises were instructed to cause commotion in my office and use the opportunity to shoot me down under the guise of accidental discharge or resistance of arrest,” Mr. Ibe writes in his latest petition.
“Fortunately for me, I was not in the office the time they stormed. They were confronted by my managing director in the process of their vandalizing my office and brutalizing my staff. I have no other interpretation of this other than Ohakim’s threat to crush me and destroy me now being carried into effect systematically. Unfortunately they are using members of the Nigerian police, security operatives and Ohakim’s illegal state police/vigilante.”
He appealed to the IG: “I am calling on the security agencies to protect me, my business and family and serve me with integrity by investigating this and bringing the culprits to book. Please protect my life from these assassins before another innocent life is wasted by unscrupulous politicians, overzealous sycophants and a compromised Imo state police command.”
April 7, 2010
The Inspector General of Police
Force Headquartes
Abuja
Threat to My Life and family, destruction of my properties and business by Governor Ikedi Ohakim, George Egu and his agents in Imo State and others.
My name is Ike C. Ibe. I am a native of Amuzi, Obowo local government area in Imo State. I am a lawyer, a former member and acting speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, a former Imo State Representative in the United States of American and governorship candidate in the last 2007 elections in Imo State. I am founder and President of Imo International Medical Mission, Ike C. Ibe Foundation and Project Ike International, all humanitarian organizations formed in the United States but working throughout Nigeria. I am the publisher of Frontline Newspaper. I am also a director and Executive Vice Chairman of Excelsior Press Limited located in Owerri Imo State, Nigeria. I teamed up with some partners and established what has been seen today as the biggest one stop digital printing plant in West Africa by the name Excelsior Press Limited, located at 68 Okigwe Road, Owerri, Imo State with fifty (52) employees. After about a year of shipping, clearing and installations, the business officially kicked off on January 4, 2010. As a commercial printing facility and a public service company, we take jobs from anybody that need our services, including individuals, small companies, governments, fortune 500 companies, etc.
On Thursday April 1, 2010 at 2:25 p.m., in what could best be described as a State sponsored terrorism operation, One Hon. George Egu (SA on Security to His Excellency Governor Ikedi Ohakim), and the ADC to the State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim commanded a team of over fifty armed police officers and about one hundred armed vigilante people from different Local Government Areas of Imo State, in commando style with over 22 New face Organization vigilante vans, Prado Jeeps and Hillux vehicles, and invaded my company (Excelsior Press Limited). They bulldozed their way into the administrative offices, pre-press, production and post production sections of my company without a search warrant. They broke into my marketing, quality control, Human resources, conference room and accounts departments and stole 3.7 million Naira part of workers salary. They carted away customers printed jobs and impounded the books printed for The Alliance for Good Governance of Imo State (a political group operating in Imo State). They destroyed most of our digital and production equipments like: Heidelberg Speedmaster five colors, Duplo Booklet Master with 20 Bins, Heidelberg CPC Tronic, Direct Imaging (DI), Auto pro machine, AB Dick Press, GTO 52 Press, Thermographic Unit, Agfa Palladio CPC, Stahl Folder, Duplo score/cutter/ creaser, light table, Auto Pro numbering Machine, Rhinestone Machine, Docutech, Docucolor, JETi large format machine, 2 AVR/UPS, Plate material, Pad Press, Silk Screening Machine, Roland Large format Printer, Graphic Computers and Spectra 52 Cutting Machine, all damaged equipments worth over 2 million Dollars.
The ADC to the Governor and Hon. George Egu led the gang of armed police and ferocious looking vigilante groups armed with rifles and locally made guns, pump actions, machete, dagger and axe, and they brutalized and abducted seven staff of my company and took them directly to the Government House were they forced them under duress to pose for some funny photographs. They invited the police commissioner, Aloysius Okorie to the Government House and he went in and had a meeting with His Excellency the Governor. Others present were Eze Ilomuanya chairman of council of traditional rulers in Imo State, the chief of staff to the governor, the SSG, the CSO, the Principal secretary to the governor, George Egu, governor’s ADC etc. They were berating the armed men who raided my office for not getting me contrary to their instructions. This they were saying in the presence of my staff who were being punished right in front of them. At about 6:oo p.m., the ADC with about twelve armed police officers in a convoy of two Prado Jeeps and a van with an inscription on the body (Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, office of the Governor) went back to my company (Excelsior Press Limited) along with my seven abducted employees, they walked around the printing plant and brought out fake search warrant and forced them to sign it. The ADC took them back, but at this time he drove them straight to the State Police Headquarters which is directly opposite the Governor’s office and handed them over to the CIB office. From the CIB office, they were transferred to CID office and were later assigned an IPO who locked them up in the cell.
At 7:30 p.m., another team of 12 armed police officers were dispatched to my company to SEAL it saying they were acting on instructions. As a commercial printer, our work is based on deadline and as a public service company we print for everybody, we don’t discriminate. We have printed for different Imo state government agencies and political groups, including PDP, AC, APGA, ADC, PPA, Newface Organization (Ohakim’s political organization), and Pro IBB Group, Pro INEC Chairman Group, Njaba State Movement, Urashi State Movement, Adada State Movement, etc. My employees languished in jail till Tuesday April 6th when they were given bail in court after pleading not guilty to ridiculous four count charge of subversion of Ohakim’s government. My company is still sealed up and barricaded by fierce looking policemen sent by Ohakim and Aloysious Okorie the CP. As a result, we have lost and continue to loose millions of naira everyday our business premises is under seal by the police. We read from the front cover of three local newspapers and the headline news of IBC, Imo FM Radio Stations and Imo Orient Television that my staff and my company was charged for “Distributing Subversive Materials against the Government to incite the public against Governor Ikedi Ohakim”. The fact of the matter is that we are a commercial printer and the book we printed was contracted to us by a political group known as (The Alliance for the Good governance of Imo State). The Title of the book we printed is “THE GUARANTEE FOR BETTER TOMORROW, OHAKIM MUST GO”. We just printed this as contractors and not publishers or distributors.
In July 2009 I petitioned your office about the threat to my life by the Ohakim led administration in Imo State and the invasion of my country home by ohakim security operatives, agents and thugs when I was having a private meeting. I also petitioned the Imo state police command under Aloysious Okorie. My petition was not investigated. Soon after, Ikedi Ohakim summoned some political leaders and traditional leaders of my local government to the government house and openly boasted to them that he will crush me and destroy me simply because he believes I will run against him in the 2011 governorship election. My people reported this to me in a formal meeting they convened thereafter on this threat. Ever since this year, I have been getting threatening calls from people who claim they are a special killer squad and sometimes these callers claim to be Ohakim’s vigilante police. At several times, I have often noticed suspicious vehicles with covered plate numbers parked around my home in Owerri. Imo state has been turned into a state that abhors political opposition and unfortunately, the police command as presently constituted there is a willing tool being used by the government and the Ohakim vigilante to oppress the people and commit all sorts of illegalities.
On investigations from several sources, I was reliably informed that the group that were sent by Ohakim to invade my business premises were instructed to cause commotion in my office and use the opportunity to shoot me down under the guise of accidental discharge or resistance of arrest. Fortunately for me, I was not in the office the time they stormed. They were confronted by my managing director in the process of their vandalizing my office and brutalizing my staff. I have no other interpretation of this other than Ohakim’s threat to crush me and destroy me now being carried into effect systematically. Unfortunately they are using members of the Nigerian police, security operatives and Ohakim’s illegal state police/vigilante. I am calling on the security agencies to protect me, my business and family and serve me with integrity by investigating this and bringing the culprits to book. Please protect my life from these assassins before another innocent life is wasted by unscrupulous politicians, overzealous sycophants and a compromised Imo state police command.
Thanks.
Rt Hon Barrister Ike C. Ibe
Cc. The National Security Adviser to the President
The Director General, SSS
The Chairman, Public Complaints Committee
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });