A retired US Army personnel, Mr. Bonaventure Ezekwenna, has petitioned the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, alleging collusion between state officials, police operatives, and a criminal gang terrorizing his community, Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area.

 

Ezekwenna, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, claimed he narrowly escaped a kidnap attempt by the gang but was shocked to discover that despite identifying those behind the incident, some police officers and officials of the Ministry of Justice were allegedly shielding the suspects.

 

In a six-page petition to the governor, he further alleged that both police operatives and ministry officials had extorted money from him, even as he presented evidence of such transactions.

 

Speaking during a press conference, Ezekwenna said:

 

“I have submitted a petition to the Governor against the Attorney General of Anambra State, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, for covering up corrupt prosecutors who extorted money from me while handling my case of attempted kidnap. I came home to invest and contribute to the development of Anambra, but my life is now at risk.”

 

 

 

The retired US soldier and former New York City government child abuse investigator stated that he had used his intelligence-gathering skills to uncover that the gang behind his attempted abduction was also responsible for burning police stations in the state.

 

He alleged that the police had investigated and charged the suspects to court, but that corrupt collaboration between some operatives and prosecutors was frustrating the case.

 

Efforts to reach the Anambra State Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, for a reaction were unsuccessful. However, the Attorney General, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, told journalists she would not engage deeply on the matter.

 

She admitted Ezekwenna had lodged a complaint against one of her prosecutors, after which she reassigned the case to another, but insisted that the petitioner had continued to raise fresh allegations. She further accused him of attempting to “corrupt prosecutors” in her ministry.