By Efe Onodjae
Nkpologu Youths in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu state, yesterday, sent a Save- Our- Souls plea to the Executive Governor of the State, Dr. Peter Mbah over reported plans to choose one of their kinsmen, Bar. Chijioke Ezugwu as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in their Local government for the forth- coming Local government election in the state.
The youths who addressed pressmen in Enugu alleged that Barr. Chijioke Ezugwu is a convicted murderer and must be treated as such. They alleged that he murdered their son, Okoro Philip Junior, on 29th June, 2022 right inside their village in the middle of the night stating that; “He was accompanied on that mission by his ragtag goons nicknamed as ‘neighborhood watch.’ They were nine in number who carried out the act. The case was ruled last year on 27th January, 2023 where the Enugu State high Court convicted him and awarded us a compensation of N20 million Naira before he appealed the court judgment. The case is currently with the Appellate court in Enugu hoping to commence hearing next month.”
”We are appealing to you our dear Governor not to allow such a man to occupy any public position pending the outcome of the appellate court judgment as we are hearing that he is aspiring to become the executive Chairman of Ụzọ Uwani LGA in the forthcoming local government elections slated for October 5, 2024 across the state. Such an individual is a threat to the socio-economic existence of our village as he will unleash hell if left to occupy this office. Just last Sunday, The family of the boy (his accomplice) in the murder of Okoro Philip Junior visited our village seeking for forgiveness for their son’s participation in the murder of our son.”
They further stated: “Chijioke Ezugwu deserves to be locked up in detention until court decides otherwise because such a sadistic person rely on terrorizing our community. He is still armed and has been threatening the entire community several times with disastrous consequences for daring to seek justice for our slain brother. Allowing him occupy such sensitive position is not only an affront to the people of Nkpologu and the memory of the deceased, same amounts to rewarding rascality and extrajudicial killing of perceived enemies. His goons are still armed up till this present day as they go about as if nothing happened.”
They appealed to his Excellency to reconsider endorsing him as PDP candidate for the election stating that “Nkpologu and Uzo_Uwani in its entirety remains one of the strongest areas in the state that is in support of the governor and we will never stop supporting him. He has so far proved that the massive votes we gave to him are not in vain and we are ready to do more. So, he should listen to us when we raise alarm by sending an SOS to him over such a very grievous development, if it true. This is our very humble way of alerting our dear governor that he should not make such a dangerous mistake in an area that voted massively for him.”
“Aside the criminal records of Barrister Chijioke Ezugwu, we are ready to vote for even a cripple or blind person that our amiable governor chooses but not a person whose records are painted and tainted with the blood of an innocent boy from out town.”
