It was a show of shame yesterday in Lagos as an Igbo traditional ruler, Eze Uche Chinedu Mozie,who was attacked by supporters of the ruling All Progressive Congress Party(APC) on his way to cast his vote at Ibashe riverine Community in Lagos, was paraded by the Police.
The Igbo leader who escaped death from the hands of his attackers was paraded by the police as a ballot box snatcher.
Trouble started for the Eze Ndigbo of Ibashe last Thursday ,when he was allegedly accosted by the Oba of Ibashe, who told him to tell Ndigbo in his domain not to come out to cast their votes during the last Saturday’s Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.
Mozie, who told the Oba that Ndigbo would surely excecise their franchise by coming out to cast their votes.
It was gathered that on Saturday, while Eze Ndigbo Ibashe and his people were on their way to cast their votes, Oba of Ibashe accosted him again, demanding to know why Ndigbo would not heed to the order not to come out to vote, as the order was from above.
A witness, Sunday, told our Correspondent that while the two traditional rulers were exchanging words, Oba of Ibashe, allegedly ordered his people, including masquerades to beat up Mozie, ” while they were beating Mozie with dangerous weapons,he resisted on self defense, and when it was clear that he would be lynched , he escaped; ran into the Oba’s Palace, and told the Oba that it was better to kill him in his palace,but knowing the implication of killing Mozie in his palace, the Oba quickly called the police who came and arrested Mozie. The question is, why should Mozie, who is a victim of political violence be arrested and paraded as a Criminal. Was there a polling unit in Oba’s Palace? He was attacked while on his way to vote, so I am still wondering why the police should parade an innocent victim , while his attackers are moving freely “.
Parading Mozie and other suspects at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department( SCIID), Panti, Yaba,Lagos State Police Publlic Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said ,”on the 18th March, 2023 at about 1.33, at Ibashe town where the voting is ongoing, one Uche Chinedu came to the Polling Unit in accompany of his men and attempted to carry the ballot box, it resulted to a serious argument in the community, along the line he used an object suspected to be animal horn to wound some people at the polling unit. He was arrested, while the victims were hospitalized. Uche Chinedu and the object suspected to be animal horn will be handed over to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for prosecution”
On Tuesday, the Supreme Council of Ndi Eze Ndigbo in Lagos had sent a save-our-souls to the State Governor, Babajide-Sanwo-Olu over the attacks on Ndigbo by Indegenes of the state .
The council also called for the immediate release Chinedu Mozie, who had been unlawfully detained at SCIID, Panti under the order of the traditional ruler of Ibashe.
