An Enugu-based estate developer, Mr. Kingsley Nebo, has raised the alarm over a clandestine plot to eliminate him by some leaders of the Etiti Ngwo autonomous community.
According to Nebo, the community leaders are trying to confiscate his landed property, which he purchased from the community.
Nebo narrated how he was framed up in a murder case he had no knowledge of and arrested by policemen from the Force Headquarters.
He alleged that he was abducted and taken to the SWAT office, where he was tortured for two weeks and forced to sign a prepared statement under duress.
“During the torture, some of the Etiti Ngwo leaders, including Daniel Ezeh, Onyebuchi Ugwu, and Obinna Onyia, participated in the physical torture while taking videos and pictures of the assault, which they posted on social media platforms,” Nebo said.
Nebo explained that the ordeal began in 2020 when he purchased approximately 200 plots of land from the Etiti Ngwo community.
“However, the leadership of the community which Daniel Ezeh is the president general, resold the land to another developer without my knowledge or consent. After reporting the matter to the police, the individuals were arrested and later agreed to return 100 out of the 200 plots to me. I accepted this resolution in good faith and resumed development work on the land,” he said.
Nebo alleged that the community leaders later mobilised a group of boys to attack his site, vandalising his property and stealing construction materials.
Again, he reported the matter to the police and after investigation they were found culpable.
“Shortly after I commenced work, the leadership within the local community that facilitated my settlement on the land was impeached, and new actors — including Onyebuchi Ugwu, Daniel Ezeh, and Obinna Onyia — mobilised a large group of boys to attack my site. They vandalised my property, stole construction materials, damaged my caterpillar, and even set some of my equipment ablaze,” he claimed.
“This destruction represented a significant financial and emotional loss to me. Once again, I reported the matter to the police. After an investigation, these individuals were found culpable and were arrested. However, out of compassion, I personally pleaded for their release despite the damages they had inflicted on me.
“In retaliation, these men vowed to harm me further. True to their threat, sometime in July, they moved to demolish another property belonging to Engr. Onyebuchi Okereke at One Day Road. Unbeknownst to them, the property was being secured by security operatives engaged by the rightful owner. During the attempted demolition, an exchange of gunfire occurred, and someone was reportedly shot. The attackers were identified and implicated.
“In a bid to escape responsibility, these same individuals later made a false report to the police in Abuja, claiming that I had been the one who recruited and paid the security personnel at Engr. Okereke’s property who were involved in the shooting. Acting on this false allegation, a team of policemen arrested me.
“During the arrest, over five officers teargased me, hanged me, and forced me under duress to confess to a crime I did not commit; and equally mentioned the names of innocent people: Nnyaba Chuka, Nonso Biggy, and Afam as accomplices. I confessed to all this under duress because the torture was really fierce. They even allowed these individuals from Ngwo to video-record me and prepare statements with their own hands to align with their fabricated claims.
“As a result of these false accusations, I was detained for two weeks in Enugu before being transferred to Abuja. Upon proper investigation by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, it was determined that I had no connection whatsoever with Engr. Okereke’s property, the security personnel, or the alleged shooting incident. The DIG therefore directed my immediate release and instructed that the police pursue Engr. Okereke himself, who was confirmed to have engaged the security guards in question.
“Seeing that their attempt to send me to jail had failed, these individuals from Ngwo—Daniel Ezeh, Onyebuchi Ugwu, Obinna Onyia, and their associates—resorted to social media smear campaigns to tarnish my reputation and image, attempting to portray me as a criminal instead of the victim I truly am.
“This ongoing persecution has caused me immense emotional, financial, and reputational damage, and I continue to fear for my life given their repeated threats and violent actions.”
Nebo expressed fear for his life, given the repeated threats and violent actions against him. He called on the authorities to intervene and protect him from further harm.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ efforts to speak with the President General of Etiti Ngwo community, Mr. Daniel Ezeh, were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls and text message seeking his reaction.