A risk analyst, Clifford Chukwunonyerem, has accused the Imo State Police Command of refusing to arrest some persons who allegedly made an attempt on his life in the Ezinihite Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.

Chukwunonyerem said that his ordeal started on April 5, 2021, when some men allegedly invaded the venue of a meeting of the Itu Development Union. The Imo State indigene claimed to be the leader of the union.

He noted that the hoodlums, who prevented the meeting from holding, burnt chairs, a set of sound systems and canopies to be used for the event.

He said three policemen were detailed to go with him after he reported the incident at the Itu Police Station.

Chukwunonyerem claimed that the leader of the hoodlums told him they were hired by some indigenes, including one Alex Eberendu, to disrupt the meeting.

The victim said the leader of the hoodlums later doused him with petrol.

He said, “Their leader said they had orders to shoot anyone that appeared at the venue. After he poured petrol on my body, I and the police fled. They burnt about 190 chairs, canopies and my public address systems.

“I reported at the Police Area Command in Onitsha, Ezinihite Mbaise LGA. The area commander told me he did not have the facilities to detain them and also said they were among those that attacked and looted his police station.

“Then, I took the case to the AIG, Zone 9 command headquarters in Umuahia, Abia State, on 24 May, 2021. The police have refused to arrest or detain anyone despite having evidence.”

The councillor representing Itu Ward, Uzochi Njoku, who claimed to have also witnessed the incident, said he was disappointed that the police had yet to apprehend anyone.

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 “I expect that the case should be in court by now, but nothing has been done,” he added.

Eberendu, who described himself as the Eze of Itu autonomous community, while denying the allegation against him, said the meeting was illegal.

He said, “Nothing of such happened; only a few chairs were burnt by the community securities to scare them away. What happened was that security guards dispersed people gathering illegally and without permission to use the venue. I am a man of peace; I can’t send thugs to attack anyone in my community.”

The Zone 9 Police Public Relations Officer, Kingsley Iredibia, said he would get an update on the case and call our correspondent back.

He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.