Ugwuanyi made the allegation in a Facebook post on Sunday, where he gave a detailed account of the incident, which he said occurred at a fuel station along the Beach Junction axis of Nsukka, Enugu State.
A social media influencer, Chijinkem Ugwuanyi, popularly known as Senator JP, has alleged that he was violently attacked and nearly killed on Saturday afternoon by operatives of the Nsukka Local Government neighbourhood watch.
Ugwuanyi made the allegation in a Facebook post on Sunday, where he gave a detailed account of the incident, which he said occurred at a fuel station along the Beach Junction axis of Nsukka, Enugu State.
According to Ugwuanyi, the incident happened shortly after he left a meeting with a friend and drove to a filling station identified as Umeano Filling Station to buy fuel.
He said that while attempting to make payment with his ATM card, a man blocked his car door and asked if he knew him.
Before he could respond, Ugwuanyi claimed that about six men surrounded his vehicle, opened the door, and identified themselves as officials of the Nsukka neighbourhood watch.
Ugwuanyi alleged that the group was led by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Nsukka Local Government Area, identified as Chibuzor "Baby Rubber" Egbugo.
“Yesterday, I had a meeting with my friend and CEO Trillion Technology, immediately I left him and drove straight to fuel station at #Umeano filling station along beach junction,” he narrated.
“Immediately I stopped, I brought out my ATM to pay. Next someone blocked me at my door and said do you know me? Before I could say I dont know you, they are almost 6 guys and they rounded my car and quickly opened my car door and said ‘I am #Egbugo the CSO of Nsukka Local Govt.’”
In his post, Ugwuanyi quoted Egbugo as saying that he had been “attacking” Engr. Jude Asogwa Chinedu, the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, and that such attacks were considered attacks on those working for the chairman.
“You have been attacking Engr Jude Asogwa Chinedu and by attacking him you are attacking all of us working for him,” he quoted Egbugo as saying.
Ugwuanyi alleged that following this statement, the men began punching and stabbing him in broad daylight. He further alleged that the assailants were armed with pump-action guns, causing bystanders to flee the scene.
Ugwuanyi said the assault was halted after the intervention of an unidentified man, who reportedly challenged the attackers to either call the police or the council chairman if there was any offence against him, instead of subjecting him to mob violence.
He said the attackers eventually disengaged, allowing him to escape.
The influencer said he could identify some of the alleged attackers, whom he listed as Chibuzor Egbugo, identified as the CSO of Nsukka LGA; Ejike Stephen Nwangwu, also known as Gwadas and Chizoba Ogbu, also known as LUPENG.
He said he could not identify the remaining individuals involved in the attack, including one person he alleged was recording a video during the assault.
He said, “Next, they all started punching me and stabbing me in a broad daylight. As it was going on people ran away because they were with pump action guns.”
Ugwuanyi challenged the Nsukka Local Government chairman to deny any knowledge of the incident or to produce the assailants.
He also recalled that days before the incident, he had posted on Facebook alleging that certain individuals had been marked for attack, purportedly to be led by the same CSO he accused of masterminding the assault.
“If Nsukka LGA Chairman deny this and he didn't send them or knows about it, he should provide these #ássassins and #Kìller squad working for him because they are under his payroll and they openly said it as they brutalize me,” he said.
“This is not allegedly by me against anybody but pure fact.... Let the Chairman deny this or doesn't know them or aware of what happened. He should just provide them or we will provide them by ourselves.
“Remember 48hrs ago, when I got the information I posted on #Facebook that the council Chairman have penciled down some names to be attacked and it will be led by the #CSO of Nsukka LGA called #Egbugo and finally the same #CSO was the one who still led the attack.
“For now this is all I know as we watch things unfold from Enugu State Government. Call for Accountability.”
Ugwuanyi shared photographs showing himself on a hospital bed with bloodstained clothes.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the Nsukka Local Government chairman, the neighbourhood watch, or the Enugu State Government regarding the allegations.