The Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi has instructed that a 5-man committee be set up to investigate the torture of a cleric and social critic, Okochi Obeni in Amasiri, Afikpo North Local Government Area.
Days back, a video of the cleric being tortured went viral on social media.
Obeni had received strokes of the cane from the Isi-Oru age grade for a post on his Facebook account about some leaders of the community which considered slanderous and capable of jeopardizing the reputation of the leaders including the council chairman, Hon. Oko Enyum.
He has tied hands back, robbed with gutter dirt, doused with bad water and given 36 strokes of canes over the offence. His elder brother had to buy off 14 strokes of the canes with N9, 500 in accordance with the tradition of the community.
The 14 strokes of the cane make it 50 strokes for anybody that goes contrary to the rules and regulations governing the community. The video has since gone viral eliciting outcries and condemnations.
Reacting to this, the governor ordered the state Deputy Governor to set-up 5-man committee to investigate the remote and immediate causes of Obeni’s torture.
“I have directed that a committee of 5-man should investigate the human rights abuses in Afikpo North. This is very important because even if there are traditional methods of settling issues, while you are doing it and if it is working for you, why are you videoing it and uploading it in the social method.
“We also want to know whether it happened because some people can also frame it to destroy the system. So a committee is going to work on it to find out what actually happened,” he said.
Earlier while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting, the Secretary to the state government, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala said “Exco directed the Deputy Governor to set up a 5-man committee to investigate the alleged human right violation at Amasiri in Afikpo North local government area with a view to unravelling the remote and the immediate causes and actions of human right violation recently reported from that local government.
“The committee is given two weeks to carry that assignment to guide the state government in taking action against that because we are concerned about the concern and rights of our people not to be violated.
Meanwhile, the Isi-Oru age grade, a security outfit of Amasiri community in Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi state, which carried out the torture has said self- seeking political elements in the local government were creating division and tension in the community using the punishment meted out against Pastor Okochi Obeni.
The age-grade justified their action against the cleric and said that the matter was twisted and true reflection of what happened manipulated by some self-seeking politicians in the area.
In a statement signed by Vice Chairman of the Isi-Oru age grade, Chief Eze Ogbonnia Eze and Secretary Unya Unya Enya, the group said Obeni was posting fake information on social media which was creating division and which they said was unhealthy to the image of the community.
The statement reads, “The Isi-Oru ruling council has the primary mandate of maintaining peace and orderliness in Amasiri in line with the traditional practices obtainable in our community.
“Isi-Oru ruling council since inception operates under an atmosphere devoid of any external interference. No one dictates to the body no matter how highly placed he is.
“The punishment meted on Okochi Obeni Chukwu is not strange in Amasiri traditional setting as so many people before him has been disciplined in the way.
“Baron Enya Ogbonnia who is also a member of Isu-Oru Amasiri was at the scene, and in appreciation to the Isi-Oru people for a good job they are doing, gave the sum of N10, 000.”
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