Mr Friday Ovia, a member of the Ovumnte community in Ishiagu, Ebonyi, which filed a law suit against Ex-Senate President, Pius Anyim, on a land grabbing issue, has escaped a kidnap attempt.
Ovia was attacked by thugs reportedly loyal to Anyim, who brutalised and attempted to whisk him away but for the intervention of community residents.
Eyewitnesses, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters, said “Ovia was trailed by three men on a motorcycle who accosted and assaulted him while a Toyota Camry car approached and three more men who were armed with guns joined in the assault.
“They attempted to force Mr Ovia into the car after inflicting grave wounds on parts of his body.
“Villagers and bike men who observed the incident shouted for help which apparently made the kidnappers to flee.”
Ovia has reported the incident to the Divisional Police Command in Ivo LGA.
SaharaReporters had published how Ovia and some members of the community filed a law suit at the Ebonyi State High Court via Suit No: HSK/6/2020 against Chief Pius Anyim and Mr Chindeu Nicholas Makwe (a pharmacist and director with the National Health Insurance Scheme) for acts of land grabbing and malicious destruction of properties in Ovumnte land.
Makwe had sent thugs to attack the original land owner, who was identified as Mrs Orji.
Ovia and Mr Ossi Chukwu, who saw Makwe when he physically assaulted the woman, gave their statements to the police but Ovia was framed by the police after an incriminating material was planted in front of his house.
SaharaReporters further gathered that the police never searched his house but arrested him immediately they found the item.
A source told SaharaReporters that the DPO in charge of Ivo Police Station, Nwornu Daniel C, has shown from his actions that he is being unduly influenced by Makwe and other powerful persons, who want to unlawfully and forcefully acquire lands from the original owners in Ovumnte community.
He said between January 21 and 23, 2020 when the properties of Mr Orji were being destroyed by Makwe and others acting on the orders of Chief Pius Anyim, a former Senate President of Nigeria, the DPO told him clearly that the police does not interfere in land matters even if properties were being maliciously destroyed and that he should go to court to get an injunction.
The ex-lawmaker had employed thugs led by Makwe to terrorise residents of the community.and forcefully take over their lands.
Prior to the kidnap attempt on September 27, 2020, eye witnesses saw Mr Chindeu Nicholas Makwe on September 26, 2020, driving slowly on several occasions around Mr Friday Ovia’s house in Amagu, Ishiagu.
