BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki and the Ebonyi State Government have disagreed on the alleged Executive Order preventing courts in the state from entertaining matters relating to Effium crisis.
The crisis in Effium, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, reportedly claimed several lives with properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
The Catholic Church, through its Chancellor, Fr. Matthew Opoke, said that the Executive Order was instituted to make it impossible for court to release one of its Priest, Rev. Fr. Timothy Ngwuta, being imprisoned over the alleged promotion of the protracted Effium/Ezza Effium communal war.
However, the state government, through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Cletus Ofoke, dismissed the Church’s claim.
Ngwuta was arrested by the Police on 11th December, 2021 and detained for 12 days but was later released on bail on grounds of ill health arising from his alleged torture by security agents.
He was, however, rearrested on Tuesday, March 8, and arraigned on 11th March, 2021 over allegations of kidnapping and murder, following which he was remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre.
He has since been languishing in detention at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre.
The Church Chancellor, Fr. Matthew Opoke, said, “The Catholic Church condemns acts of violence, incitement of violence, wars, kidnapping, arson, or crimes and will not shield anyone involved in such dastardly acts.
“We urge the security forces to do a thorough investigation and ensure that the priest of God, who has, in conscience, stated before his Bishop that the accusations are entirely false, is not punished for offences he knows nothing about.
“Efforts to secure the release of the priest on bail proved abortive as a result of the Executive Order preventing courts in the state from entertaining matters relating to Effium crisis.
“Recently, the motion for bail was refused on the 12th of April, 2022. We implore all people of good will to join us in praying God to touch those responsible for the incarceration of Fr. Timothy to listen to the voice of right conscience.”
However, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Cletus Ofoke, said “There is nothing like Executive Order on the Effium crisis; there is nothing to that effect.
“Of course, government can never issue order stopping court from doing its legitimate duty. It is aimed at tarnishing somebody’s image and maligning the government. There is nothing like that.
“Once a matter is in court, nobody talks about it other than for the legal process to take its course. This is what Ebonyi State Government has done and the government has no hand in Priest’s case. The case of the Priest is purely a legal issue from police to court. So, nothing concerns Ebonyi State Government and it is not only the Priest that is being incarcerated over the matter in Effium.
“So many people have been charged to court; some of them are in prison, some of them are being tried by court.”
