Rumpus in Abia over Alleged Threat to Buhari’s Life

By Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia

Security agencies have been called upon to launch investigation into the allegation by a chieftain of the All Progressives Alliance (APC) in Abia State, Mr. Nwabueze Onwuneme that President Muhammadu Buhari’s life would be in danger if he visited Abia State.

Onwuneme who was a former special adviser to the governor on housing in the last administration was reported in a national daily to have accused the Leader of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Chinedum Orji of threatening his life and those of his family members. He further alleged that Hon Orji had warned that Buhari would regret it if he hounoured the invitation to attend the planned mega rally by Abia APC.

But at a press conference in Umuahia yesterday a group known as Abia Interest Group (AIG) frowned at the “wild and malicious allegations”, saying that it must not be swept under the carpet in order to teach other rabble rousers a lesson.

The director-general of AIG, Mr. Eze Chikamnayo said that the death of President Buhari in questionable circumstances anywhere in Igboland would undoubtedly throw this nation into unprecedented chaos hence the allegation “is weighty” and should be investigated.

“We of Abia interest group unequivocally demand the immediate arrest of Mr. Nwabueze Onwuneme, the purveyor of this false alarm and a thorough investigation of his sanity and statements, painstakingly concluded,” he said.

According to him, the false alarmist must be promptly arrested and thoroughly investigated without delay and then prosecuted “for this criminal act of lending himself to the orchestration of possible subversion of constituted authority”.

Chikamnayo said that from the investigations carried out by Abia Interest group, it was discovered that Nwabueze was sacked as special adviser following an allegation by ASO Investment Limited, an Abuja based estate Development Company.

ASO was involved in the development of a housing estate in Abia and in the course of executing the project petitioned the then governor, Chief Theodore Orji about the activities of Onwuneme which was hindering the execution of the project.  He was investigated and consequently fired by the governor.

“Following the termination of his appointment, Mr. Onwuneme has obviously misplaced his aggression and stopped at nothing to ensure that he wickedly pitches (Chinedu Orji) against the authorities by making series of fabricated and wholly defamatory remarks”.

Meanwhile in a petition to the Inspector General of police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris dated 21 December 2017, Hon Orji through his counsel, Chikamnayo, reminded the IG that plan to kill the president of Nigeria was a highly treasonable offence which should be investigated.

He argued that Onwuneme should be in possession of “some vital information on his alleged plot to kill Mr. President which my client is not privy to and which should be of immense interest to our responsible security agencies”.

“Mr. Nwabueze Onwuneme’s aim of publishing the defamatory and seditious words targets at misleading, misinforming and instigating the security and law enforcement agents to haunt, torment, intimidate and dehumanise my client in every imaginable way in order to execute a misplaced vendetta,” he said.

Chikamnayo pointed out that the “wild allegations” by Onwuneme had already inflicted “immense injury to Hon Orji’s pride, and hard earned reputation and as a result he has been exposed to ridicule, contempt and risk of invasion by the security agencies”.