Ikwuano Uproar: Missing Youth Solomon’s Case Sparks Vigilante, Royal Rift
By Charity Uwakwe
“Tension mounts in Ikwuano, Abia State, following the disappearance of Solomon Ikeokwu, as allegations of vigilante brutality, leadership conflict, and extortion claims spark widespread controversy.”
There has been a rising uproar in Ikwuano, following the sudden disappearance of Solomon Ikeokwu, the son of one Mr. Ogbonnaya Ikeokwu, of Umuorie-Amankwu, in Amangwo-Ajatanigu autonomous community, in Ikwuano LGA of Abia State, who is allegedly known for his notoriety in armed robbery and disruption of the peace of the community.
Over the months, the Oboro community, in Ikwuano local government Area of Abia State has been in the spotlight for the wrongs, following the saddening news of the alleged notorious armed robber who was allegedly mobbed by the vigilante group in the community, and reportedly conveyed to the river in a wheelbarrow on his request.
According to reports, Solomon had pleaded with the vigilante group to take him in the wheelbarrow to the river in order to show them where he had hidden his gun he used for his robbery operations.
Grapevine told famousreporters.com that unbeknownst to the villagers, Solomon had sneaked back into his village and was shielded by his mother popularly addressed as mama Solomon and his sister.
Famous Reporters, while on a rove was reliably informed by sources close to the community that Solomon had over the years been terrorising the community.
The sources added that Solomon had run away from the community in his bid to avert punishments for the armed robbery crimes he committed and was never seen since the past eight months before the ugly incident.
According to some sources who spoke to our Correspondent while travelling to the community, Solomon was turned in by her biological sister who rang the Chief Security Officer of the Vigilante group, Mr. Nwamkwo Okoro, pleading for help. “His sister shouted saying, you have come back again to worry us. And then she called the CSO to tell him that Solomon sneaked into the village and had been hiding and had held her and her mother hostage. He seized his sister’s ATM and began to demand for money from his mother’s. So, the s8ster begged CSO to come save her and her mother from her brother, Solomon.” The source said.
Another source believed to be related to the missing youth who pleaded for anonymity, admitted that Solomon had, over the years, been a thorn in the flesh of the community, following his various criminal activities in the community.
“I don’t think the community has executed him before but he is a notorious person and has been arrested several times. And he has been a thief, a notorious village thief and had been caught with arms. Nobody can deny that. But, now, we don’t know what really transpired on that day.”
Moreso, Famousreporters.com gathered that the Vigilante had initially, repudiated her request, arguing that Solomon’s immediate family would not hesitate to bail the former (Solomon) if eventually apprehended with the police, as had been the tradition. However, the Vigilante was compelled to run to her aide due to her persistent pleas, coupled with the appeals by one Mr. Godwin Kanu who begged on Solomon sister’s before for intervention.
Asked the why for the indictment of the traditional ruler, His Royal Majesty, King Larry Ogbonnaya Agwu, Eze Onye-Oruru 1 of Ajatanigu Autonomous Community, in Ikwuano LGA of Abia State, who was sighted in a viral Facebook video, by Famous Reporters, pouring libations in his bid to prove his innocence regarding the incident, the source acknowledged that there had been an unresolved problem or conflict that laid beneath the surface of the present situation.
He said:
“About King Larry, I know before this time, there had been some underlying issues in the community. I don’t want to get involved in village politics. This is village politics.”
Earlier, an online newspaper had reported that the Traditional Ruler of Amangwo Umuigu, Eze Karry Ogbonnaya Agwu, contradicted himself thereby allegedly stating “in a community WhatsApp group that Solomon was not dead and accusing the victim’s family of hiding and feeding him secretly.”
However, when contacted, King Larry, without mincing words, reiterated that he was not in the know of Solomon’s presence in the village, up until the escalation of the incident.
“Hmmmm… I only heard, I heard about it; I didn’t know whether the boy came home or not.
“When l heard the news after the incident, l called the vigilante leader, Nwankwo Okoro and asked him what l am hearing about Solomon. He said that the sister of Solomon called him and told him that Solomon came back to their house and collected her ATM card and wanted to kill their mother, she managed to escape and she called him to come to their house. He refused because Solomon has been arrested many times and it was the same mother who used to go and bail him, that they are not going.
“Later, she called again with her phone, one of their brothers by name Godwin Kanu spoke to him from her phone and begged him to go with his boys and they listened to the man and went to Solomon’s house. From there, they had problems with Solomon because, Solomon wanted to kill one of them, they over powered him and asked many questions about guns, of which Solomon told them that he has two guns and bullets one of the Gun is with the brother named Buku, bullets is with the mother and that one of the guns is in our village steam side. That was what Nwankwo said Solomon told them. They asked him to take them to the river side to collect the gun since the brother and the mother are not there with them, he told them that he cannot walk to the riverside. They drove him in a wheelbarrow and upon getting to our village bridge, he jumped out from the wheelbarrow into the river. He said they did not kill him, that was what the vigilante leader told me, that they did not kill him.
“Solomon is their brother and our village river is not deep and they told him not to come back home again, he should find his way not to come back home again. Solomon was begging them that he will not come back home again. The vigilante leader told me that the mother of Solomon knew where Solomon was, that the mother was using a bike to send food to Solomon where Solomon is taking treatment, that was what the vigilante leader and some of his boys told me. l was not there , that was what they told me that made me to say that Solomon was not killed.
“Secondly, when the incident happened, the mother of the boy who used to come to my palace whenever Solomon committed crimes in the past, did not come to report to me that Solomon is having trouble with vigilante men, Chukwudi Adimoha, the youth leader did not inform me, the village chairman, chief Munachimso Owucheka did not tell me and didn’t tell the village head. They went on with the matter on their own. So, that was why l said that they knew where Solomon was, because a matter of this kind cannot happen in a village where I govern without any of my subordinates informing me”.
Explaining further, he said:
“I don’t know whether that boy came to the village for the first time. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know at all. It was when trouble started that I inquired from the security boss — the vigilante boss. I called the chairman. He said the boy came, and then they said they don’t know. I said I don’t know whether the boy came home.
“Everybody in our village knows the boy very, very well. Honestly speaking, it’s not even what we’re discussing. The boy — everybody knew him as an armed robber. Armed robber but that is not enough reason to take his life.”
“This time around that he came back home — because he doesn’t live in the village permanently; he comes and goes — this time, they said he came home. I don’t know if he really came or not; nobody told me. But when I heard about the incident, I called the vigilante chairman. His name is Nwankwo Okoro. He said all the security men working are almost all our brothers.
” So, how did I hear about it? People were saying our chairman used the town crier to call the community and told the boy’s mother to come and explain what she reported to him. Then I started asking the vigilante chairman questions. What I heard is: they called the community to the market square. The mother of Solomon reported that Solomon was missing — that the security people came to her house and took him away. The security man told me that they were on their own on the 26th night of September, when the senior sister of the boy called, saying Solomon came back, took her ATM card, and threatened their mother with a machete if she didn’t give him money.
Asked if the suspected criminal machetted his mother whom he allegedly held hostage, the king replied in the negative, saying,
“No — he only threatened her.”
THE VIGILANTE RESPONSE TO SOLOMON’S SISTER’S DISTRESS CALLS AND THE OUTCOME
Narrating what the vigilante told him, the king said:
“So the vigilante boss said they weren’t going. I asked why. He said they had arrested the boy many times, even with weapons, but the family would always bail him. Now that he came back again, we are not getting involved. That was what the Vigilante told me.
“The Vigilante further told me that, later on, another call came in. The CSO answered, intending to repeat that they weren’t coming. But this time, it was a male voice — not the sister’s — though it came from her number. The man speaking was Godwin, Solomon’s relative.. He begged them to please come, so the boy wouldn’t kill their mother. So, after much persuasion from Godwin, our chairman called his men and arranged to go to the boy’s house. Early morning on the 27 September, they got to the house and knocked. The mother asked who it was. They said they were looking for Solomon. She replied that he wasn’t home — but it wasn’t clear.
“According to the Vigilante, while they waited outside, the daughter told them again that Solomon had come and taken her ATM card. When the woman opened the door, the boy (Solomon) attacked one of the Vigilante men with a matchet and tried to escape with the matchet.. There were many vigilante members outside. They started pursuing and beating Solomon until they overpowered him. Solomon attacked first — that’s what they said. I wasn’t there.
” After overpowering him, they asked why he didn’t want to come home. He said it was because of the last incident with them. He also said he heard one uncle had died and his son came home with some money to bury his late father, Dee Nkwo Ikeokwu — but they thought he was trying to steal from the uncle’s son.
” They then asked about the guns he used in his robbery operations. He said the guns were two: one is with his senior brother, Buku, and one hidden at uzo-iyi (along the stream side). The bullets were with his mother. That’s what the security people told me.
Continuing, King Larry said: ” When they asked him to show them the gun, he said he couldn’t walk — because he was beaten by the Vigilante group. So they carried him in a wheelbarrow and took him to Uzo-iyi. I questioned why they would do that. The security said it wasn’t the first time. In the past, he had stolen a motorcycle and denied it up until they involved the police. Then he took them to Uzo-iyi and showed them the bike hidden in the bush. So they believed the gun was really there too.
“They reached the bridge by the river and kept asking where exactly the gun was. But, I suddenly, Solomon jumped into the river. But the river isn’t deep — it can’t swallow someone. So, they laughed and warned him not to come back again. He replied from inside the mud that he wasn’t coming back.
” The security chief said I should also note that three of the boy’s brothers were there with them, the stepmother was there also. The mother ran away from the house, according to what they told me, when Solomon confessed that she (his mother) was in possession of the bullets. That’s what they told me. So they left him as he jumped into the river. They then asked me to ask the people, he (the CSO) mentioned—those related to him (Solomon). Because here, we have something called erim. No one from any family should be present when a relative is harmed or his blood spilled, without speaking up. If you keep quiet, the erim will strike—sometimes killing, and it will start with the children and family members. Erim is real. It might not happen immediately, but it will unless the truth comes out. Afterward, the community must do cleansing rituals and plead with the ancestors for peace to return. Only then will the erim stop working.
“The security man asked me—can the brothers kill their own brother, knowing about the erim? I was confused too. So, I invited the main people he mentioned. One was Hope Ikechi, he is a part of the security. I wish I had his number I would have given it to you for confirmation. He’s currently in custody, in Afara and he’s related to Solomon.
Another is Emma, they call him “boy.” He does POS work. Also related to this Solomon. They’re from the same hamlet. I invited them and asked what happened. They said they had an issue with him, and he took them to the river for them to recover a gun. From there, he jumped out from the wheelbarrow and jumped into the river. And then they told him that they didn’t want to see him again. That I should also ask these people they also mentioned— and anyone I asked kept referring me to others who were there. The only person that is not security whom they called his name was Mgbechi Azuonwu. He’s Solomon’s big brother, he’s related to him and is supposed to even be his father. He was with them too. So, I invited him but he didn’t come when I wanted him. Luckily, my wife met him one day. And informed him that I was looking for him. He said no one told him. He came later and I asked what he knew.
“However, Mgbechi denied everything. He said he only dropped someone off, Mr. Keka with his bike near the bridge and left. Said he didn’t know what happened. But I didn’t believe him. My spirit didn’t feel the truth in his words. I can’t accuse nor harm him because I wasn’t there, yet I didn’t believe him.
” Then, after a couple of days, the woman they said is the stepmother came. I asked her questions—and I recorded her. She gave me three conflicting stories. I told her she was talking “zig-zag.” She also didn’t tell the truth. I still have the video.
THE KING’S INVOLVEMENT
On how King Larry Ogbonnaya was accused of being a part of the ploy, the king accused the chairman of the community, Chief Munachimso Onwuchekwa of conniving surreptitiously with the vigilante group to extort money from law breakers despite alleging that the said group was abolished.
Hear him:
“When the chairman, Munachimso Onwuchekwa called a meeting of the community, and asked the woman (Solomon’s mother) to repeat what she told him. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know exactly what she said, because I wasn’t there. But they told me she said that security came and took her son—and since then, he’s been missing. The chairman took the matter into his hands—without informing me as Chief Security Officer or telling the village head. He went to the press the next day. They began writing stories to tarnish my image. They think they can blackmail me and take my staff of office—which they’ve been eyeing for a while now.
“So, when I read what was written about me in the press, I laughed. I put everything in God’s hands. I don’t know what they are talking about. The paper said, according to what they wrote, that: “security was disbanded.” That’s not true. They’ve still been working—secretly—with the chairman even presently, they have been working with the chairman and sharing money in my absence, because they know that if I know, I’d stop them from collecting money from offenders.
Among the people Eze Ogbonnaya accused of working in connivance with the chairman in the extortion of law offenders despite the alleged disbandment of the Vigilante group were the youth Leader, Mr. Chukwudi Adimoha, the Vigilante group led by Nwankwo Okoro-the CSO, Chief Munachimso Onwuchekwa, Mr. Chukwunyere Onyemachi and Mrs. Grace Nnondu”.
Asked if he had evidence of his allegations against the chairman and the other executive of Amangwo collecting money from law offenders, Larry said:
” Yes, they collect money from suspects.
I have evidence to show you and they’re not telling me. The chairman says taking suspects to the police doesn’t yield results—they come back empty-handed. So, because of this reason they connived with the nde nche (the security) and started a system: if someone is caught (like a petty thief, without a gun), the community leaders reached an agreement with security people, so they’ll gang up, and instead of police, they will give bill to those suspects and they’ll pay them. The chairman gets a cut, the security gets theirs. They kept this from me. I have evidence to show.”
Asked when he heard about the secret transactions between the Chairman, community leader and the village security, he said:
“When did I find out?
Only when this case came up. They claimed disbandment, but I started digging. In this village, I’m not the only ruler. We have the village head, chairman, woman leader, youth leader—they all have roles. When problems arise, they come to me. But, this time, none of them told me anything—not the village head, chairman, woman leader, nor the vigilante group. Even the boy’s parents didn’t inform me. I only found out after the incident and the purported disbandment.
” I’ll show you proof.
There’s a current agreement—dated 18th September—between the chairman, CSO, and youth leader. If they were truly disbanded, why are they still working together? I only discovered the agreement because of this trouble. There’s also police video footage of a meeting between the chairman, youth leader, CSO, and a suspect.
They’ve been handling various cases and sharing money—not just this boy’s case.
According to him, other law offenders who regrettably fell victims of the extortion by the chairman and his cohorts were; Mr. Kelechi Ogbonna from Mbachi who stole planks (plywoods).
” The security caught him and he agreed to pay them #30,000 and they released him. Another man was Old Soldier who was caught on different occasions, cutting palm heads belonging to other community members. He was forced to pay #200,000 when he was caught by the security. These monies were shared among the community chairman, Munachimso, the youth leader, the Vigilante group and other executives. And other cases. A copy of this agreement will serve you as proof that the Vigilante group was never disbanded as the chairman claims.”
Meanwhile, all attempts to speak with the leader of the security group who reportedly took to his heels were futile, as his phone has been switched off.
Corroborating, Mr. Henry Orji, Omere Oha 1 of Ajatanigu Autonomous Community, an illustrious son of the soil and a nephew to one of the members of the Vigilante group who was wrongfully arrested and subsequently taken to Afara Correctional Centre, Chikeka Nwosu, accused the leadership of Amangwo, led by chief Munachimso of playing politics with the lives of the community.
Speaking in a telephone interview with famousreporters.com,he wailed that Mr. Chikeka whom he described as a father figure was innocent of the allegations levelled against him, as regards the missing/murdered notorious armed robber.
Amidst shock, he reiterated that Chikeka was neither on duty on the fateful day trouble ensued between the security team nor was he seen at the scene of the incident, as he decried the unjust judgement meted out to septuagenarian.
“Chikeka Nwosu is my uncle but if you call him my father, you’re not mistaken because my uncle is also my father.
” That man was not anywhere near the scene of the incident; he was not on duty as a security personnel on that day; he was not present at that scene. But, then, because they want to punish him for things he knows nothing about, they went to his house, broke into his house and vandalised his property and then took him to the police station which landed him in the prison. As I speak to you, he’s still in prison.
He is imprisoned over a case that the leadership of Amangwo knew very well that he was not present, he was not among, he did not commit any crime.
He, therefore, called on the executive Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, the Commissioner of Police and the leaders of Ikwuano local government area to run to their rescue, begging that “we don’t want him to die in prison. He’s innocent.”
Similarly, Bright Nwosu, the son of Chikeka Nwosu who put in an appearance at the federal High Court, Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, narrated his encounter with the leadership of the community to Famous Reporters.
Narrating his experience, Bright said:
“I came down all the way from Lagos and even before then, I had been visiting my father when he was still in detention at State CID, so, I always visited him there. So, my father told me how everything happened, that he wasn’t on duty that very day. And that, in the morning of that fateful day when he heard what happened. By then, those on duty had had their problem with Solomon, and other members of the security that were also apprehended confirmed that, Chikeka Nwosu was not there, with one other man called pastor was not on duty that very day.
” So, after then, I went to the court on the day of the court sitting and then, after the court, I met with our village chairman, Munachimso and youth leader and two other men, because despite what happened they are still my uncles. So, I met them, and I told them what my father told me and also other detainees. They said, yes, that my father was not truly involved but that it was the mother of the young man, (Solomon) who wrote the names. So, I asked because the people who went to my house and took my father were the youths so they said yes, because my father was a member of the security team and the mother of the boy wrote their names but that in the court, they can be able to talk about that so that those who were not be can be freed. And ever since then, my father who is not even feeling fine is just in prison lavishing for something he knows nothing about.” He wailed.
” I’m calling on our father, the Governor, Dr. Alex Otti and the people that matter in Ikwuano and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, to help and ensure that justice is served; so that my father can be set free because he is innocent. He’s an old man and we don’t want him to die in prison.
Amangwo Chairman Speaks on Missing Youth, Vigilante Arrests
The Chairman of Amangwo in Ajatanigu Autonomous Community, Chief Munachimso Onwuchekwa, on the controversial disappearance of Solomon, stated that the young man had a troubled past but denied allegations that he was involved in armed robbery.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Famous Reporters, Onwuchekwa described Solomon as a member of the community with what he termed “a questionable character,” alleging that he was known for petty theft within his family environment. He, however, maintained that he had no direct knowledge of Solomon being an armed robber.
Asked whether Solomon was an armed robber as alleged by some community members, he said:
“Solomon is our son. He has a questionable character; he misbehaves as a person. At times, he will pick what does not belong to him. No! He was just only a pick-pocket person within our community, within our vicinity more especially that act is always in their own family compound, he doesn’t go outside to do that. It is only within their nwunye nna (father’s wife).”
The chairman explained that Solomon had reportedly left the community for about eight months before returning shortly before the community’s New Yam festival in September. According to him, it was around that period that members of a now-disbanded vigilante group allegedly apprehended him.
On whether the community knew about Solomon’s presence, he said:
” I wouldn’t say exactly because everybody minds his business. But, the fact remains that on the 27 September, in the early hours of September, that was when the community knew that Solomon was in the village, the day the king did his new yam festival and that was when the disbanded vigilante group of onyeze went for him.”
Onwuchekwa also addressed claims that Solomon’s sister had contacted the vigilante group over alleged threats from her brother.
He said he could not confirm some of the allegations but noted that statements made at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) suggested that members of Solomon’s family had interactions with the security group regarding the incident.
He further alleged that the vigilante members forcefully took Solomon from his home and subjected him to severe assault before taking him to a nearby river area where they claimed he had hidden a firearm. According to him, Solomon was later declared missing, and partial human remains were reportedly recovered in the area, though full identification details remain unclear.
“His carcass. The man is gone already. We did not see his head, we did not see his right hand, we did not see his private parts and we did not see one of his legs. We saw only one leg which is the left side. So, the health officer picked the carcass; the bones, some intestines.”
The chairman confirmed that the matter has been reported to the State CID, adding that some members of the disbanded vigilante group have been arraigned in court and remanded at the Afara Correctional Centre.
Speaking on the vigilante group’s activities, Onwuchekwa stated that the community had earlier dissolved the group over allegations of misconduct and disregard for community leadership.
He claimed the group allegedly operated with perceived backing from the traditional ruler, King Larry, which made disciplinary action difficult at the time.
Meanwhile, authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the full circumstances surrounding Solomon’s disappearance as investigations continue.
