 to immediately order the immediate and unconditional release of his domestic staff){kind=link}
Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on the Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) to immediately order the immediate and unconditional release of his domestic staff in the custody of the DSS, in obedience to the judgement of a Federal High Court of Awka, Anambra state.
Ejiofor, in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, called on the DSS boss, to, in compliance with the positive Orders of the Court, order the immediate arrest and prosecution of the DSS personnel involved in the bloody invasion of his ancestral home.
Justice H. A. Nganjiwa of a Federal High Court in Awka, in a judgement in a fundamental rights enforcement suit on October 27, 2022 filed by the wife of Ifeanyi Ejiofor’s late Personal Assistant – Late Mr. Samuel Okoro, who was gruesomely murdered, and his lifeless body burnt to ashes by the combined team of the operatives of the State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army, and one Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu (a.k.a Ijele Speaks) held that, the extra-judicial killing, and setting ablaze of the body of Late Mr Samuel Okoro-the Applicant’s husband by the agents of the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army, and one Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu (a.k.a Ijele speaks) is illegal, unlawful, oppressive, inhumane and constitutes a breach of the Late Samuel Okoro’s fundamental rights to life, dignity of human person and fair hearing, guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as amended and African Charter on Human & People Right (Ratification and Enforcement ACT CAP 10 Laws of Federation 1990).
The court further directed the defendants, jointly and severally to tender an unreserved public apology to Mrs. Felicia Okoro in one national and domestic dailies.
The court further awarded against the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu, jointly and severally, the sum of ₦100 million as general damages and the sum of N50 million as compensation in favour of Mrs. Felicia Okoro- the Applicant, against the defendants jointly and severally for the violation of the fundamental rights of the Applicant’s husband -Late Mr. Samuel Okoro, who was brutally killed, and burnt to ashes during the bloody invasion.
The Court also awarded against the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu, jointly and severally in Mrs. Felicia Okoro’s favour, the sum of ₦5,000,000.00 as cost for prosecuting the suit.
In further condemning the dastardly act of the security agents, His Lordship further directed the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Director General of the SSS to immediately identify their officers who participated in carrying out the dastardly act and bring them to book, sanction or punish them accordingly.
Ejiofor explained that, on Sunday, 6th June 2021, at about 2:30am, his home in Umunakwa Ifite, Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra state, was invaded by the combined team of the Nigeria Police Force, the SSS, the Nigerian Army and the Civil Defence and Personal Assistant (Mr. Samuel Okoro) was murdered in cold blood by the monsters in security uniforms.
“Those monsters did not stop at that, they proceeded to take delivery of Mr. Samuel Okoro’s corpse, dumped same in Mr. Ejiofor’s Toyota Camry Car boot, and abducted three of Mr. Ejiofor’s domestic staff, namely: Mr. Okafor Lawrence Ugochukwu (gardener), Mr. Felix Okonkwo (driver), and Mr. Ikenna Chibuike (steward), before they hurriedly left.
“Mr. Ejiofor’s elder brother (Mr. Joel Ejiofor) was equally abducted in the process but was later pushed out of the vehicle around Nnobi by the invading troops before they left with Mr. Ejiofor’s domestic staff, and the corpse of Mr. Samuel Okoro.
“Those marauders later made a brief stop at Neni town in Aniocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, immediately after Okacha Filling Station, where they set Mr. Ejiofor’s car ablaze with the corpse of Mr. Samuel Okoro inside. The CCTV footage, and video clip which vividly captured this dastardly act which were played in the court, are now in the public domain, and can be found in all Mr. Ejiofor’s social media handles.
“It is pertinent to reproduce, within the context of this statement, the compelling extract of His Lordship, as clearly set out in pages 56 & 57 of the Judgment, while condemning the gruesome murder of Sir Ejiofor’s Late Personal Assistant- Late Mr. Samuel Okoro, by the invading soulless Joint Security Team, and the inhuman conduct of the Security Agents involved in this heinous crime against humanity. His Lordship- Hon Justice H.A. Nganjiwa stated as follows:
“Before I conclude, I wish to state that after watching the CCTV Footage, Exhibit A, I ran out of words to express my feelings to what I saw. I couldn’t believe what I saw was carried out by human beings like us.
“It was unfortunate and unbelievable. They didn’t only take the laws into their hands but behaved as if they are God who created life including Mr. Samuel Okoro, the late husband of the applicant,” he added.
The court further noted in its judgement that, no amount can compensate for the life of the deceased and the void created in the life of his family and loved ones, even as it held that, there was nothing shown as the basis why the Applicant’s Late Husband’s principal’s house was invaded and why the Applicant’s husband was brutally murdered in cold blood and subsequently burnt.
“Even if he had committed murder, the Respondents went too far by taking laws into their hands. The Applicant and her son has been thrown into untold hardship, depression and trauma both mentally, psychological and socially. The Applicant’s late Husband was the breadwinner to his aged parents. The children have lost their father and no doubt it shall affect their academic pursuit looking up to their mother and God only to succeed in life.
“Again, the Applicant’s husband lost his life out of overzealous officers’ acts, who to my mind are callous hearted human beings. They are not supposed to be in the service nor given responsibilities,” the Judge said.