This is a personal e-mail from Chuka Obele Chuka, the Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, Onitsha Chapter; who succeeded Late Barnabas Igwe. Mr Obele Chuka wrote me in response to my article titled: “Mbadinuju’s Travails” published on Thursday, 19th June, 2008. – Chukwudi Nwokoye Esq. I just read your article on Mbadinuju. I was pained by the manner the heinous and brutal killings of my two soul mates are being trifled. Your article created an impression that those who slaughtered my two friends remain unknown, which is not true.

 

There are confessional statements made by some of those who did the matcheting and clobbering of my 2 friends to death. It is not in dispute that these men were members of Mbadinuju’s Bakkassi Boys. These killers had no problem, in fact, did not know my 2 friends and could not have gone ahead to kill my friends. From their confessional statements it was a government commissioned job. Government vehicle and personnel were deployed for the operation. In the case files, there were by an avalanche of documentary evidence showing that the these self-confessed killers were directly under the control and management of Mbadinuju and his man Friday, his commissioner for works, at the time of the killings. In all the police case files compiled so far since 2002 all the evidence had always pointed to no other authority as being in charge of these killers than Mbadinuju and his government. Some samplers. The law establishing the killer group vests the power to appoint all but one member of the group’s controlling body, on Mbadinuju. This controlling body known as the Coordinating Committee operated directly from Mbadinuju’s office. There was documentary evidence that these killers were even after the killing; being paid by Mbadinuju’s written approvals. Camillus Ebekue in his November 2002 statement to the police was emphatic on the above. Policemen and officers attached to the Government House made statements confirming that they were seeing the said killers including Odogwu Anam in the Mbadinuju’s government house receive salaries. In 2002, Mbadinuju approved 8 million to the killer group for the procurement of inter alia ammunitions which was not even permitted under the law setting up the group.

 

There is documentary evidence of approval made by Mbadinuju to counter inter alia the negative media the arrest and subsequent killing of Eddy Nawgu elicited. There was pictorial evidence showing Mbadinuju congratulating these killers group for carrying out extra judicial killings, which under the law setting them up they cannot lawfully do. Mbadinuju’s Aide, one Bonaventure Maduafokwa in many petitions while he was serving Mbadinuju accused Mbadinuju of training over 1000 assassins. Please I can avail you of these documents, photos and videos. My chairman made a dying declaration to his only brother clearly stating that his assailants taunted them that they were being tortured to death as a lesson for fighting the governor. The statement of Vin Igwe on the above which was removed by Mbadinuju’s agents in the police including DCP Sodo and ACP Osho is in my possession and has been furnished the police. One is not only guilty of a crime only when he does the deed by his hands. One can be treated as a principal offender if he procured or instigated the crime to be carried out at Awada and runs to a World Igbo Conference in Houston. Such person under the law is liable as in this case, to the penalty of death by hanging just as the self-confessed killers who carried out the deed. Mbadinuju offered money to B.C. believing he was capable of being compromised to back down on the just resolutions taken by all the branches of the NBA in the State. My chairman was accused by Mbadinuju of being sponsored by APF, and feared that the NBA opposition was capable of scuttling his 2nd tenure ambition which he wanted at all cost including killing his opponents. His government having gotten away with previous killings he was emboldened that this last killing of an Imo man and his wife which was a collateral damage as confirmed by Mbadinuju when upon being informed of the killings queried why my Chairman should be killed!!! The first reaction of Mbadinuju was to deny not only his involvement but also any member of his government and to under the seriousness he volunteered to resign if otherwise found. He then went on to paint a graphic picture of how my friends were killed by those he called armed robbers.

 

The video of the above is with police. In the same breadth when reminded nothing was stolen and that robbers do not matchet to cannibalize their victims to death, he said it was traditional ruler of Attah Town. Again, Mbadinuju moved to accuse Sen. Anah and myself of carrying out the killings. These were in 2002. In 2003 he shifted to Sir Emeka Offor and Joneb Nebolisa. In July 2003 after he fled into exile, he turned to point at Chuma Nzeribe. However in 2005 when his Works Commissioner opened up on how Mbadinuju commissioned the killings, Mbadinuju turned round for the first time to accuse a caucus member of his govt for the same killing. In fact in his written statement to police he claimed Emeakayi’s killing of the Igwes over my friend’s refusal to release a copy of a will they made for one chief Ezego for Emeakayi alteration to favor him and his mistress who was Ezego’s ex wife was a notorious fact!!! All he above are in documentary material and are in the Police case in spite of the futile efforts made to remove them. I CAN SUPPLY THEM TO YOU. In fact it was when Mbadinuju who agreed to reimburse his said works commissioner the total money he expended in the murder charge and was in fact paying by installments to stave off any singing reneged that made Emeakayi to threaten opening up. Mbadinuju procured assassins to silence him forever. When the planned plot to kill his said commissioner failed Mbadinuju turned round to accuse the police officers he hired to contract the assassins as armed robbers and lodged a petition with Ehindero. It as in the course of the investigation of their alleged robbery that tapes and text messages of where Mbadinuju was heard abd read contracting Kolapo Sofoluwe for the killing.

The tapes and text from Mbadinuju phones which were not denied by Mbadinuju when he as confronted with them by the Amusa Bello team is with the police. Even the tape of the confrontation is with the police. upas a result of the police.

 

In fact, the Administrative Board of Inquiry headed by 2 DIGs indicted Mbadinuju for the attempted murder of his said commissioner. What however pains me most are the blatant lies of Mbadinuju which were being repeated in your article without even a thought to test their logic. For instance, how can you repeat Mbadinuju’s claims that the police used the same police report dated 16/5/2003 which exonerated him to try him in Abuja and Onitsha Magistrates Courts and Onitsha High Court? Common sense dictated that assuming the said report was genuine that there was no way the police would have taken an accused to court with a report that cleared him of complicity of the crime. It is with respect absurd. I will return to the police report later.

 

Two, Mbadinuju was never tried by the Onitsha High Court presided over by Justice Amaechina or any other high court for that matter. The matter which Justice Amechina adjudicated upon as a civil suit for judicial review filed by Mbadinuju to quash the proceedings and the charge in the Magistrate Court,Onitsha. Three, at no time did Justice Amaechina discharge and acquit Mbadinuju in the said civil suit as he had no such power under a civil proceedings to make such order which strictly within the powers of a criminal assizes or a court conducting the criminal trial for the murder which must only come after hearing the evidence of both the prosecution and the accused and evaluating same or after hearing the prosecution case goes ahead to sustain a o case submission if made by the accused. None of the above was present in the civil suit determined by Justice Amaechina.

 

At no time did Mbadinuju shed himself of immunity to be interrogated and prosecuted. The immunity under sec 308 of our Constitition cannot be waived under the law by its beneficiary. Mbadinuju even in this case pleaded his immunity and refused to even be interrogated when the killing occurred. Not even my petition to police that he be interrogated could persuade the police who by clear evidence at my disposal were simply working for Mbadinuju at the time as Ghana must go moved from Govt house to the Provost Office near the CP’s Office at Awka. The following year in Feb upon my pressure, the police served a questionnaire on Mbadinuju claiming that it was the best they could do until his immunity lapses. Sorry NEPA just struck and I have stop for now.

CSN:43509-2008-04-16