..My life is under threat- CEO.
From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
The newly established ‘Ije : Ego’ Oil and Gas station, at Dodo Layout,Oji River local government area, Enugu state has been attacked by yet to be identified gunmen, even as the Chief Executive Officer, Engr Ikechukwu Chukwuba said he was threatened by one acclaimed leader of ‘Eastern Security Network (ESN)’ for not complying to his demands.
Engr.Chukwuaba said, “Before the the ugly attack of my workers and gas station on early morning Thursday,May 15, On Easter Monday April 21st,I I received a strange call from someone who claimed that he is the Area Commander,Oji River Eastern Security Network (ESN) ‘Eke Nwofia.”
According to him, the messages from the alleged ESN leader came to him on Easter Monday, April 21 and Tuesday, April 22.
He disclosed to this writer that the message of Easter Monday, April 21st, was a request that he should send ten bags of rice to them, at a location in Achi town for their (ESN) upkeep.
“Don’t you know we killed two policemen in Oji River,We don’t want to kill you, send ten bags of rice and logistics to us,” the alleged operative was quoted to have said.
He said received another phone call from the same person but with a different phone number, tasking him to take the bags of rice he promised to buy for them to some where in Akpugoeze community,also in Oji River local government area.
“Then on Tuesday, April 22, I waited for their call. They called around 10 am and demanded that the ten bags of rice should be brought to Achi. Thereafter, they called me again and asked me to bring the bags of rice to Akpugoeze,” he said.
According to him, when the alleged ESN leader found out that he (Mr Chukwuaba) was not serious with them, he questioned whether he has consulted the Army or the Police.
“He got angry and threatened to deal with me and my company in a months time,” Engr Chukwuaba stated.
Engr Chukwuaba said as a result of the threat, he stayed away from Oji River since April 22 but sadly received the sad news of the attack of his Oil and Gas station at Oji River on Thursday,May 15, during which his workers were brutalized by the hoodlums.
He lamented that he was regretting his return to invest at home but expressed confidence that he will not succumb to undue exploitation and intimidation from the non state actors.
He called on the security agencies to live up to the challenges if the nation must advance economically.
He extolled the local vigilante in Oji River Urban, whose intelligent operations finally scared away the hoodlums even though they looted thousands of naira from the company treasury and made away with four handsets of his workers.
He lamented that the hoodlums damaged two CCTV cameras with memory cards valued at N800,000.00 and also made away with the key of the company’s mini Hilux vehicle.
He said the hoodlums successfully dismantled one of the heavy generators, brought in two J-5 buses to cart away their loot before the local vigilante struck with their intelligent operations. The hoodlums then zoomed off on the two J-5 bus.
At the time of on the spot assessment of the incident by this writer on Saturday May 15, it was observed that the generator was being fixed back while the fence of the establishment was being lifted with additional blocks.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the hoodlums, the security guard, Mr Okonkwo Nnamdi, said he was brutally matcheted by the hoodlums for putting up gallant efforts against them before they tied him up
He said was too lucky that his right eye narrowly escaped one of the cuts.
According to him, some of the hoodlums jumped in through the fence around 12 am, while many of them were hanging outside.
He said the hoodlums were more than ten in number.
Two other security guards were also tied but suffered less injury than him.
The manager of the station, Mr Ajeh Sunday Abel said the hoodlums over heard him as he was making a call for security agents to come to their rescue and at gunpoint compelled him to go and open the central gate for rest of their members to come in.
He was equally tied with a rope before the hoodlums ransacked the office and collected the whole money they have in the office, seized their phones.
.
