July 11, 2010
Saharareporters has learned that rogue Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Sam Chukwu, who is at the center of kidnapping activities in Enugu, is lobbying the Enugu State Chief Judge, I.A. Umezulike, to facilitate bail for the DPO’s son who is the prime suspect in the highly publicized kidnap of Mr. Lotachukwu (Lota) Ezeudu.
A source in the Enugu State judiciary told Saharareporters that Sam Chukwu has reached out to Justice Umezulike to intervene to secure his son’s release on bail on alleged health grounds. The bail application will be heard on Thursday in High Court 3.
A police source in Abuja told our correspondent that, following our series of reports on Chukwu’s role in kidnapping, Inspector General Ogbonnaya Onovo has relieved Sam Chukwu of his post as the DPO in charge of the Awkunanaw Police Station. However, the IG stopped short of moving to dismiss Chukwu from the police.
Sam Chukwu’s son, Nnaemeka Chukwu, was the one who lured out Lota Ezeudu on the day he was kidnapped on September 26, 2009. Ezeudu, a second year accountancy student at the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus, has not been seen since. Lota and Nnaemeka went to the same secondary school.
Our source revealed that Sam Chukwu has already obtained spurious medical statements falsely certifying that his son is suffering from a series of health problems. Nnaemeka Chukwu is currently being held in prison custody at the order of the magistrate hearing the kidnap case against him and several other suspects.
According to police sources familiar with the case, Nnaemeka Chukwu had telephoned Lota Ezeudu on September 26 to come over to the DPO’s house and help one Desmond Chinwuba to inspect a laptop computer.
After Lota Ezeudu’s kidnap, Nnaemeka lied to investigators that he later phoned Lota to ask him not to come out after all. However, the phone log obtained from MTN showed there was no such subsequent call from Nnaemeka.
As Saharareporters has detailed, Desmond Chinwuba, who lived in the DPO’s house, was fired from the police and was standing trial for armed robbery related to another kidnap case.
Several police sources have told Saharareporters that Desmond and one Ernest Okeke, a sacked officer who is also standing trial in an earlier kidnap and armed robbery case, were part of a ring of kidnappers managed by Sam Chukwu.
A source within the police in Enugu said it would “be satanic” for Justice Umezulike to intervene on behalf of the former DPO’s son. The officer noted that the same Sam Chukwu had lobbied to have both Desmond Chinwuba and Ernest Okeke to be granted bail in their earlier trial. “That bail gave them the opportunity to continue their kidnapping activities,” the officer said. “If a whole chief judge interferes to bail Chukwu’s son, then it means he has no fear of God,” said the source, adding that Chukwu’s involvement in criminal activities would bring ruin to anybody who associates with him.
In the wake of Lota Ezeudu’s kidnap, Desmond Chinwuba fled into hiding.
In a recent statement, the public relations office of the Nigeria Police suggested that Desmond Chinwuba was merely a tenant of former DPO Chukwu. But several police sources in Enugu as well as two friends of Nnaemeka Chukwu we interviewed described the police statement as a misrepresentation. Our sources disclosed that Desmond was not a tenant, but simply lived with Sam Chukwu’s family. They said Nnaemeka Chukwu also introduced Desmond to all his friends as his father’s personal assistant.
Our sources disclosed that telephone logs showed that Desmond Chinwuba and Nnaemeka Chukwu exchanged several calls after the former went into hiding.
“It’s highly unusual for any judge or magistrate to grant bail in a case involving kidnapping and armed robbery,” said a source in the Enugu State Ministry of Justice, wondering how Desmond and Ernest were able to obtain bail a few months before the criminal gang spearheaded by these two men organized Lota Ezeudu’s kidnap.
“How dare the same man Sam Chukwu who covered Desmond’s back in all his criminal rendezvous now talk of another bail for his son who is even the prime suspect,” asked the source, a lawyer. He added: “The whole world will be watching for what will happen this week.”
One source revealed that Chukwu has turned to the state Chief Judge because his erstwhile political protector, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has distanced himself from the embattled rogue officer. A source close to Senator Ekweremadu told us that the senator was shaken by the firestorm of criticism provoked by our earlier reports detailing ties between him and Chukwu.
An officer with the Enugu Prisons told Saharareporters that he was not aware that Nnaemeka Chukwu has any medical problems.
An Enugu-based businessman told Saharareporters that many residents of the state capital “are happy that you people are focusing on the notorious activities of DPO Chukwu who is well known as a criminal,” adding that the residents would not take the police authorities seriously until Chukwu is fired. “If they [police authorities] think he’s not a criminal, why don’t they transfer him to be there with them in Abuja?” the businessman queried.
Asked what should happen to Chukwu, a senior police source in Abuja said, “It’s obvious that the man should be sent packing,” but adding that the retention of such people in the force creates the impression that the hierarchy of the police condone criminal activities by uniformed officers.
One police source in Abuja told Saharareporters that Mr. Onovo recently summoned Mr. Steve, the officer investigating Lota Ezeudu’s case, to Abuja. “The IG wanted to be personally updated on the case and tasked the commander to redouble his efforts in the case,” said our source.
A source in Enugu described Mr. Steve as “a God-fearing officer” who is determined to handle the case well. However, the source added that the commander’s efforts would be frustrated “as long as Chukwu is still in Enugu.”
A relative of the Ezeudus told Saharareporters that “Lota’s parents and sisters have been hardly able to sleep since his kidnap.” She added that the missing boy’s family is determined to pursue the case till their loved one is returned to them.
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